An Unexpected Love
by BloomingViolets
Summary: McStizzie. “You were the last person I ever expected to be friends with. Guess it just goes to show that life is full of surprises. And you? Well, you’re the best kind of surprise.”
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Grey's Anatomy and its awesome characters belong to the wonderful Shonda Rhimes and to ABC. I only borrow the characters for fun and own nothing. This story is merely for entertainment purposes and to satisfy my own craving at attempting to write a McStizzie story. That is all.

**Note:** My first Grey's Anatomy fanfic! So I started of as an Alex/Izzie fan but after reading all the wonderful McStizzie fanfics here on this site, I've decided to now root for a Mark/Izzie pairing. Woot! This story has also been sitting on my computer for the longest time (like two years now…) and I just realized that I never posted it. Better late than never right?

The timeline might be off from the actual show, but since this is just a story, no one really cares right? (grins)

**Summary:** "You were the last person I ever expected to be friends with. Guess it just goes to show that life is full of surprises. And you? Well, you're the best kind of surprise."

* * *

Karma.

It was an easy concept to understand when one really thought about it. The cosmic principle according to which each person is rewarded or punished in one or more actions according to that person's deeds in a previous situation. In other words, what goes around comes back around eventually. It was inevitable. And it was exactly this thought that was running through Dr. Mark Sloan's mind as he watched Addison Montgomery and Alex Karev stumbling from one of the on-call rooms at Seattle Grace Hospital, straightening their clothes and walking awkwardly away from one another.

They never even noticed his presence.

It was at that moment Mark knew that whatever attempt he and Addison had at a relationship, it was over. Gone. Done. Finished. Their sixty days no-sex pact was broken and it had been Addison, not he, who had broken it. And it had been _Karev_ she had slept with, of all people. Mark Sloan was not a stupid man, far from it in fact. He had noticed Addison's distracted behavior as of late but had chalked it up to sexual frustration.

_I thought you said you didn't think about me._

_I don't. I'm actively not thinking about you right now. _

The memory of the last night they shared together flowed through his mind and he suddenly had the urge to hit something. Anger began coursing through his veins as he began walking at a furious pace towards his office, ignoring the curious stares he received as he walked by. He knew with sudden realization just how true Addison's words were that night. How could he have been so foolish? He really should've known better. Hadn't past experiences taught him that everything he touched, he ultimately destroyed? Mark had known from the start that Addison was too good for him, but that hadn't stopped him from trying to win her heart. He should've known that things wouldn't have worked out for him. Relationships and love weren't for damaged people like him. They were for people who were good and not cynical and… irrevocably unbroken. All he was really good for was warming up someone's bed. Fairy tales and happily ever afters weren't meant to be for a one Dr. Mark Sloan.

It hadn't stopped him from having hope… he had been ready to give it all a real shot. Mark didn't fail to notice the irony in this particular situation though, Derek had lost Addison to him and now he had lost Addison to Karev. On top of that, he was alone and the worst thing was the fact that he had no one to blame but himself.

Karma really was a bitch.

Mark entered the Emerald City Bar later that night and took a seat at the counter, sitting directly in front of Joe. He knew that Addison was currently sitting with Karev and his intern friends without turning around to check. That flash of red hair was impossible to mistake, even in the dim lighting. Even from all the way across the room, he heard her laughter and he had to close his eyes. When was the last time he'd heard Addison laughing so heartily? It had been so long – he couldn't remember.

"Rough day?"

He opened his eyes to see Joe the bartender looking down at him with concern. Mark sighed, resting his arms onto the counter. "You have no idea. May I get a Scotch on the Rocks?"

Joe raised an eyebrow. "Well, you're certainly polite tonight. What gives?"

"You don't wanna know. Trust me," Mark replied as he took the glass that had been placed in front of him. "I almost wish I didn't know. But I do. And now life sucks."

"Take it easy, alright?" Joe gently patted him on the shoulder before moving to fill someone else's order.

As much as he didn't want to, Mark couldn't help but look over to where Addison was sitting. The redheaded doctor was listening intently to whatever it was that Callie Torres-O'Malley was saying but as she did so, she kept stealing glances at Karev who was sitting on her left side. It took every ounce of self-control he had to not go over there and punch Karev's face in.

_It's really over. She's made her choice. _

Letting out another sigh, he turned back around and finished his drink, placing some bills next to the empty glass on the table. He glanced one last time at Addison before heading towards the entrance and going out the doors into the night alone.

* * *

Alone.

For months now, she had felt alone. Sad. Solitary. Isolated. And because of her most recent actions – she was now lonelier than she could ever remember being.

The night air was cool and crisp as Izzie Stevens made her way home from the hospital. A strong gust of wind whirled around her, making her long blonde hair fly around wildly and she reached up and brushed a lock of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her right ear as the wind began to settle. She wrapped her jacket tighter around her and continued walking. The moon hung high in the sky, all full and illuminating and if she hadn't known any better she would've believed that the full moon was a symbol for all things good and beautiful.

Her life was a mess. The only positive thing that had happened within recent months was her career sort of going back on track. Granted, the only thing she was allowed to do at the moment was to listen and observe but at least she was still a surgeon-in-training. At least she hadn't totally blown everything out of the water, so to speak.

Izzie Stevens was a lot of things but the one thing she had never done before was adultery. Well, until a few weeks ago anyway. Tears began to fill her eyes as she thought of her best friend. It had only been a few weeks but she missed his presence desperately. And there was nothing she could do to convince George to speak to her again. Their drunken one night stand had resulted in a broken friendship, causing everyone to take sides and who would've thought that she'd end up alone?

But alone she was. Alex had taken the news of her sleeping with George very badly and refused to listen to her attempts at an explanation. Even Meredith had turned away from her, unable to deal with her actions, but Izzie supposed she couldn't really blame her friend for being mad. After all, Meredith knew what it was like to be sleeping with a man who was married. And of course, being Meredith's person, Cristina Yang was automatically against her too. Though, Izzie suspected that Cristina wasn't really all that mad at her but more disappointed than anything.

For once in her life she had no idea how to fix things. She didn't know what to do to earn her friends' forgiveness and their respect; she had no idea how to fix things with George… and with Callie. As much as she didn't care for Dr. Torres… _Dr. Torres-O'Malley, _she corrected herself… she didn't like to hurt people and her actions had caused Callie a world of pain. She had no idea what to do and she wished that she still had someone to talk too.

Meredith's house loomed in the distance and she was relieved to see that it was dark – if the house was dark, then that meant it was possible no one was home. She knew Alex was at Joe's as she had overheard him talking about his plans after work in the locker room earlier. As she walked up the pathway, she looked around to see if Meredith's car was in the driveway. It wasn't, and Izzie was grateful that she would be able to get into the house without running into anyone.

She opened the front door and headed straight to her bedroom and as soon as she had shut the door and locked it, Izzie let out a sniffle and the tears came flooding out. All day she had been holding in her emotions, refusing to let anyone see her in a state of distress. She laid on her bed, hugging a pillow to her chest as she cried, wishing that she had someone there to comfort her. She reached out for a tissue from the Kleenex box that was lying on her nightstand and in doing so; her eyes strayed to the picture frame that rested on the small table. Her hand automatically reached for the picture and she looked at it, her eyes scanning the five smiling faces staring back at her. She recalled when the picture had been taken – on a rare day off for the five interns, they had spent the whole day at the park on a warm sunny afternoon.

That had been when she had been at her happiest… before her one night stand, before her fight with George, before… Denny.

Now, she was just an empty shell of the woman she used to be. The last couple of weeks, her life had been without force or effect. She felt hollow and meaningless, just… empty. She longed to be the person she was before – bright, warm, bubbly and happy. More than anything she just wanted to be happy again. Her sobs began to quiet down until the tears began to silently fall down her cheeks as she thought of what she could do.

One of her philosophies in life was that if you didn't like something, change it. And right now, she didn't like who she was. Starting first thing tomorrow, Izzie Stevens was going to do her best to right all the things that were wrong in her life. Priority number one: taking the time to focus on herself and to be content with who she was. She had to heal herself first before she could even attempt to fix everything else. It was time to move on and let certain things go.

And it was with that last thought, Izzie felt into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Feedback is appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

**Note:** Some of the events in this story take place at different times on the show. I've manipulated parts that I like and work them accordingly to my story. Some parts of this chapter came from the episode 'Desire' in season three.

**Disclaimer:** _Really_ broke college student. Grey's Anatomy and its awesome characters belong to the wonderful Shonda Rhimes and to ABC. I only borrow the characters for fun and own nothing. This story is merely for entertainment purposes and to satisfy my own craving at attempting to write a McStizzie story. That is all.

Writing is always a learning process for me, so if anyone notices mistakes or anything that doesn't make sense, please feel free to tell me!

* * *

Izzie woke up feeling exhausted even though she had gotten plenty of sleep. Sitting up slowly, she noticed that she was dressed in her clothes from the night before and quickly concluded that she must've fallen asleep while she had been crying. Stretching her arms and letting out a yawn, the blonde intern swung her legs over her bed and quickly began gathering the things that she would need that day.

She moved around her room quietly, feeling a little more optimistic than the day before. Today was the first day that she would attempt to change her life for the better before it could get any worse. She wanted to be able to look in the mirror again and like the person that was reflected back to her. Deciding to take a shower at the hospital, she packed a change of clothes into her day bag before changing out of the clothes that she was wearing and into black sweat pants and a grey sweater. She quickly threw her hair up into a messy bun and then quietly unlocked her door and pulled it open slowly.

The house was dark and eerily quiet as she moved as silently as she could towards the kitchen. She quickly made herself a sandwich for lunch and packed a few of the cookies she had baked two days ago for comfort. She grabbed two bottles of water, sliding them into her bag along with her lunch before picking up her keys and slipping out the front door with her jacket tucked over her arm. She let out a sigh of relief as she made her way down the driveway to her car. She had managed to leave the house without running into anyone. At the moment, Izzie figured that time away from her friends couldn't hurt so she would do her best to stay out of their way.

Forty-five minutes later, Izzie had showered and was dressed in her scrubs, ready to begin her day. She walked down the hallway towards the nurses' station and just as she turned the corner, she ran into none other than one George O'Malley. It was an awkward moment and Izzie felt hurt wash over her when George refused to look at her. Luckily, she didn't have time to dwell on it as Bailey had chosen that exact moment to make her appearance.

"Stevens! O'Malley! Are you coming to get your assignments or what? Hurry up, I don't have all day!"

George abruptly kept walking, leaving Izzie no choice but to follow. She could tell that their little run-in had caused George to be all tense because he was walking with his back and shoulders straight. Would things ever be the same again? She hoped that eventually they would be. She came to a stop in front of the nurses' desk and by this time, Alex, Cristina and Meredith were there as well. As expected, Meredith and Alex didn't spare her a glance but Cristina gave her a sort of nod, which Izzie took to be a good sign. Now she could only pray that she would get to assist anyone but Callie.

"Karev, Montgomery. Yang, Shepherd. O'Malley, Sloan. Stevens, Burke. Grey, Torres-O'Malley. Stevens, don't forget that you are to observe procedures only. You all have your assignments, now disperse!" Bailey's sharp voice left no room for argument.

Izzie let out a sigh of relief, knowing that she didn't have to be paired up with Callie. She didn't think she could handle all the death glares from the orthopedic surgeon all day. _Thank you Dr. Bailey! No torture for me today!_ Dr. Burke was nice and didn't care about her sleeping with George. Working with him wouldn't be a problem at all, even if all she could do was watch.

Hurdle number one had been avoided momentarily but she knew the day was far from over.

The morning passed by relatively slow for Izzie. More than once, she had run into her fellow interns but each time, they given her the brush off and eventually she gave up trying altogether and began avoiding them. It wasn't until it was near lunchtime when she ran into Cristina in the locker room that her day improved a bit. She was a tad annoyed that Cristina had looked around to see if anyone was around first but quickly let it go as it was nice to finally have someone to talk too.

"I'm not mad at you," Cristina said, her tone was unusually soft and completely different from her everyday attitude. "It seems as if everyone is a little high strung right now, but I'm not going to get involved because simply put, I don't really care about the affair you had with Bambi. You made a mistake, everyone else should just realize it and let it go – or at the very least, they should be giving George hell too."

"Thanks Cristina," the blonde replied quietly, smiling at her. Izzie moved to give her friend a hug but Cristina held up her hands.

"I don't do hugs," she shook her head. "I've gotta go. Shepherd's got a surgery in a half hour and I've got to go prep. I'll see you later."

"Bye." Izzie gave a slight wave as Cristina left the locker room. She turned back to her locker and grabbed her lunch, before shutting her locker door and heading out to find a place to eat. She avoided the cafeteria at all costs and instead decided to find an area where she could eat alone.

She ended up outside at the hospital's small abandoned observatory. She knew that this was a place was intended to be a garden for visitors of the hospital someday but so far it looked like Dr. Webber hadn't found the time for construction plans. Even though it was bare and looked lifeless, it was void of people and that was just what she was hoping for. Sitting down on the abandoned bench, Izzie opened her lunch and began to eat her sandwich, all the while trying to ignore loneliness that was creeping up on her.

Seattle Grace Hospital was buzzing with activity by the time Mark arrived at work that morning. As he always did, he headed straight for the elevators with the intention of keeping himself as busy as possible that day. All night long, Mark had contemplated on what to do on the situation with Addison and as a result he had tossed and turned, barely getting any sleep. Finally, at four in the morning he had come to the conclusion that there was nothing else to do but tell Addison that their pact was off and that she could do whatever she wanted. He refused to let himself be strung along while she was getting frisky with Karev – his pride wouldn't let him succumb to that.

Telling himself to move on was one thing but actually going through with it was another thing altogether. For most of his life, Mark had been selfish although he preferred to think of it as 'going after what he wanted.' He had never done anything for another person but he supposed telling Addison that their pact was off was as good of a place as any to start.

Thirty-two days.

That's how long he had gone without sex. Even to him, that was an amazing thing. At first he had gone crazy with frustration but as time went on, he began to notice more and more the emptiness within him. And as more time went on, he had begun to look forward to a possible happy life with Addison. He clung desperately to the idea of a relationship with her because he had wanted it to be true. He wanted a chance to remember birthdays, celebrate anniversaries, have lazy Saturday morning lie-ins and… maybe even hear the sound of children's footsteps running around someday.

His mood slowly darkened at the thought.

That would never happen now.

The light above the elevator lit up and the doors slid open and Mark stepped inside, relieved that for once it was empty. His luck didn't last long though because at the next floor, the doors opened to reveal Addison and he felt his anxiety rise. He noticed that the moment Addison's eyes had landed on him, they didn't brighten. He may not be an expert at relationships, but he knew that seeing someone you cared about always brightened your day.

Apparently, he didn't brighten hers – that fact couldn't be any clearer. Well, now was as good a time as any. Might as well get everything over with.

"Hey Mark," Addison's voice was soft as she stepped into the elevator and the doors slid shut behind her. "Do you have some time later? We need too… um, talk. We should go get a drink… are you busy after work?"

It was time to let Addison go.

He glanced at her and then looked down to the ground, closing his eyes briefly as he did so. "You don't want to have a drink with me," he said, shaking his head slightly. "I'm not what you're looking for."

"What are you talking about?"

Mark avoided her gaze. "I slept with someone. Couldn't hold out. Once a man-whore, always a man whore, right?"

The doors to the elevator opened again and he realized it was his stop. Without turning to look at her, he slowly stepped off. "Be happy, Addison," he said softly as the doors slid shut behind him.

Mark's day didn't improve after his encounter with Addison that morning. He kept himself busy enough but it seemed as though with each patient he saw, the more his mood worsened. It didn't help matters that one of his patients was being extremely difficult and continued to harass him with complaints that her breast implants were too small. He had to endure twenty minutes with her before O'Malley had finally returned with his blueberry scone and cappuccino and he passed his patient off onto the young intern.

It seemed one small disaster after another and Mark was ready to blow. He hadn't meant to, but he had snapped at more people than he usually did that day, taking out his anger on those who didn't deserve it. His quest to become the Chief of Surgery wasn't going well and if he was really honest with himself, he didn't really want it too badly anyway. And if he was really _truly_ honest with himself, the only reason he had gone after the position was because it gave him an excuse to stay in Seattle where he could be close to Addison and Derek.

Now he had no more excuses.

He was extremely relieved when it was time for him to take a break. He didn't know if he could take another minute being around happy and cheerful people, when he himself felt so alone. He quickly made his way to the cafeteria and bought his lunch before walking back out with the same fast pace. He felt all eyes on him as he walked and resisted the urge to yell… throw… scream. More than anything he just wanted to tell everyone to leave him alone, to mind their own business and let him wallow in his own misery.

He couldn't even wallow in his own misery in peace without people gossiping about him. Wonderful.

Mark kept a non-expressive look on his face as he walked out. He had to look calm and collected as there was no way in hell that he would let anyone see him in an emotional state. He had to keep his cool or everyone would know just how affected he truly was by the (now non-existent) situation with Addison.

He made his way outside and walked up the beaten path towards the abandoned garden observatory. Seeing as there was no flowers or plants in the observatory, Mark figured that it would be the perfect to be alone – to get away from everyone. Surely no one wanted to see a bare garden void of its plant life. Some of his anger faded with every step he took but it all came back at once as soon as he saw that someone was currently occupying the bench.

Izzie Stevens.

Mark inwardly groaned. Of all people, Dr. Stevens was the last person he wanted to see. She was a happy person, full of warmth and smiles – something he didn't need at that very moment. She was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bench, finishing up what was left of her sandwich and her hand reached for the bag of cookies that she had lying at her side. He moved forward and opened his mouth, ready to tell her that she had to leave so he could eat in peace.

She looked up as he approached and before he could even say a word, their eyes connected and he stopped short.

It felt as though he was looking into a mirror. He could read all the emotions that were currently swimming around in Izzie's eyes. He could read them because it was all the emotions that he, himself, had felt for the last two days… the last few weeks even. It was what he saw everyday in the mirror at his hotel. And he could tell by the expression on Stevens' face that she could read the same emotions in his eyes too.

Anger. Resentment. Sadness. Lonely. Isolated. Frustration. The list went on and on.

What was most surprising of all though was that Stevens had a look of understanding as well. She didn't know anything about his situation nor did he know anything about hers but… it was there. Looking at her, Mark suddenly knew that he did understand what she was feeling and he instantly felt comforted that there was at least one person working at this hospital that was just as miserable as he was. Misery did love company after all, and it looked as though he had found some company.

Izzie uncrossed her legs and shifted over a bit, nodding at the now empty space beside her. He took that as an invitation to join her and flashed a brief smile before moving forward and sitting down next to her. He opened his lunch and began to eat and the next fifteen minutes passed by peacefully. He finished his pasta and threw the empty containers back into the bag that had come with it. He picked up the apple and water bottle and for a moment he just sat there, enjoying the silence.

It was funny how just a mere half hour ago he was angrier than he had ever thought possible and now he actually _was_ calm and collected. All because of a shared glance between two people that have yet to exchange a conversation. Life was funny that way, he supposed.

It was comforting, he found, to have someone to sit in silence with and he was especially surprised when Izzie's bag of cookies was suddenly in his line of vision. He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow, to which she responded with a shrug and gestured her bag of cookies to him once more. He looked at the bag for a few moments before setting his water bottle down and then reached for one of the cookies. With his other hand, he offered her his apple to which she grinned as she reached for it and promptly took a bite of the fruit. It felt as though he was in kindergarten again sharing and exchanging snacks with a potential friend.

And as he took a bite of his cookie (it was delicious! Probably the best cookie he ever had...), Mark realized that Izzie Stevens might just be a potential friend.

* * *

Feedback is appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks everyone for the awesome reviews! I feel like I'm on a roll where this story is concerned. Whooo! **

**Note:** Some of the events in this story take place at different times on the show. I've manipulated parts that I like and work them accordingly to my story. Some parts of this chapter came from the episode 'Desire' in season three.

**Disclaimer:** _Really_ broke college student. Grey's Anatomy and its awesome characters belong to the wonderful Shonda Rhimes and to ABC. I only borrow the characters for fun and own nothing. This story is merely for entertainment purposes and to satisfy my own craving at attempting to write a McStizzie story. That is all.

Writing is always a learning process for me, so if anyone notices mistakes or anything that doesn't make sense, please feel free to tell me!

--

_About two weeks later…_

The sun was shining brightly and the air smelled fresh from the rain of the last couple of days. The birds were cheerfully chirping and flowers could be seen slowly blooming in the midst of the warm sunshine. Izzie made her way down the sidewalk, stopping in front of a small apartment building, gazing at it with a thoughtful look. In her hand, she held a few newspaper clippings with various apartment ads circled in red.

Things had become more and more intense and awkward at Meredith's house the last couple of weeks that Izzie found she couldn't take it anymore. With everyone barely speaking to her, Izzie decided that she had finally had enough. Over the last few days, whenever she had free time, she would be looking through newspapers for a possible new place to live and then going to check out said places. It wasn't like Alex or Meredith would miss her presence anyway since all they've done over the past week was ignore her. She figured that in trying to turn her life around, she didn't have to be around any more animosity than she had to be.

Izzie walked up the steps and into the apartment building. After briefly speaking with the landlord, she received the keys to the available apartment and made her way up to inspect it. She still had money saved up from her modeling days, so she was able to afford living on her own for awhile and while her paychecks from the hospital were meager, she was so busy that she barely spent anything. The money was piling up into a nice little nest. She figured that she could've lived on her own when she first started her internship but had quickly realized that she was a people-person and that she genuinely enjoyed being around others.

She slipped the key into the lock and opened the door to the apartment. The sun was shining in through the windows, immediately giving her an optimistic feeling to which Izzie took as a good sign. She glanced around. It was a little small but she could live with it. She wandered into the kitchen, taking note of the small counter where all her baking magic would happen. After giving it a careful inspection, she headed towards the bedroom and peeked inside. This room was the biggest one in the entire apartment and Izzie grinned with delight. Of all the places that she had looked at so far, this particular apartment had been the best one. It wasn't so cramped that she would become claustrophobic and it was also in walking distance to the hospital _and_ the grocery store – it would definitely save money on gas for her car. What was also lucky was that the apartment also came furnished with a couch and a fairly nice sized bed and the rent was slightly cheaper than what she had been paying for rent back at the house.

It was a win-win situation.

A half hour later, Izzie left the building with the keys to her new apartment in her hand. She headed towards her car that was parked across the street. Getting in, she drove to the one place where she no longer felt welcomed. Letting herself into Meredith's house, she made her way to her room and began gathering her things together. Izzie was glad that she had the day off and that both Meredith and Alex were at work. It made moving out much easier when she could avoid all the unnecessary drama. She had spent the last couple of nights packing all her clothes and things into her suitcases and now her room was bare except for the bed and dresser, which had been there when she'd moved in. She dragged her suitcases out to her car before coming back in the house and heading towards the kitchen. She spent the next couple of hours, baking up a storm so that Alex and Meredith would have something to eat for the next couple of days. Izzie doubted that her roommates would notice her absence but she figured it wouldn't hurt to have her bases covered since she was always the one providing baked goods for them.

While her muffins were baking in the oven, she wondered why she was even bothering to make something for her friends when they had been ignoring her for the last couple of weeks. But deep in her heart, Izzie knew that no matter how much hurt her friends had caused her, they were still her friends and so she stuck by them. Still, she wished they could've at least let her explain her side of the story. Once the muffins were done baking she left them on the counter in plain sight before cleaning up and then leaving the house, locking it securely behind her. She then drove back to her new apartment and for the rest of the day she unpacked all the things she had, turning her apartment into a home.

--

Mark woke up feeling strangely unsatisfied.

He glanced at the woman next to him before carefully sliding out of her bed and looking around for his clothes. The woman had been gorgeous and he had been sitting in the bar, feeling sorry for himself and in his lonely state; he had sought comfort in her arms for the night. Now, hours later, he knew that he had made a mistake. His usual means of escape from reality simply didn't work for him this time and the entire time, Mark knew that his heart simply wasn't into it. He had gotten off but there had been no pleasure in the act at all. He wished that he could go back to when times were much simpler. He missed being able to just kick back and have a normal conversation with Addison and Derek. All those years of friendship… down the drain. If only there was a way to get them back…

He shook his head. _Wishful thinking buddy… they want nothing to do with you. You've got no one. _

Mark just couldn't win. He had tried for Addison, he really did but that had failed. He had tried going back to his old ways but now that no longer had the same appeal as it once did. The woman that he had spent the night with had been similar in looks to Addison, with bright red hair and almost the exact same height. But when it came down to it, Mark knew that the only reason he had chosen to spend the night with her was because he had wanted to imagine that for a few hours at least, he was with the woman of his dreams. As much as he tried, even he couldn't fool his heart. He knew that no matter how much he wanted to pretend, to _believe_, the woman he had just slept with wasn't Addison.

He pulled on his pants and then pulled on his jacket, glancing around the room once more to make sure that he hadn't forgotten anything. Once he was sure, he slipped out the front door, shutting the door behind him as quietly as he could. Mark let out a sigh as he made his way down to his car. Glancing at the digital clock on the dashboard as he started the engine, he figured that since he was up this early, he might as well head to the hospital and get some work done.

He had to find a way to get over Addison Montgomery. That was his only option now. Work was as good of an option as any. If he kept himself busy enough, he wouldn't have time to even think about Addison. Mark arrived at the hospital and headed straight for the showers and within a half hour was dressed in his navy blue scrubs and white lab coat. He headed straight for the coffee cart and noticed up ahead two familiar interns intensely involved in a conversation.

Looking for anything to distract him, Mark headed towards Grey and Yang with the intention of eavesdropping on their conversation. Surely whatever they were discussing so intensely with each other was bound to be interesting. They practically attracted drama into their lives.

"…Seriously Meredith, you should get over it. It's been almost a month since you guys have stopped talking to her," Yang's voice had a slight distain to it, as if she didn't want to have this conversation but had too.

"No," Meredith's voice sounded firm and angry. "Izzie should've known better. She shouldn't have slept with George while he was still married to Callie. What she did was wrong."

Mark raised an eyebrow in surprise as he stepped closer. _Stevens had slept with O'Malley?_ When had that happened? His mind had flashed back to the last couple of days and he remembered Izzie's lonely expression. So, Stevens had joined the Dirty Mistresses Club – interesting. Mark had noticed more and more that Stevens was always alone as of late. He had a feeling that he had just discovered the reason for Izzie's sudden solitude and why they had been spending their lunch times together in the abandoned observatory lately.

"Fine, whatever," came Cristina's response. Both interns' voices were fading as they walked away and Mark continued his way to the coffee cart. He was deep in thought about Izzie's situation as he ordered his cappuccino. His curiosity had awakened and he had a sudden urge to find the blonde intern and ask her about it. He knew Izzie would never answer his questions though and it really wasn't any of his business but damn, he couldn't help it. He wanted to know!

All morning long he decided to keep a close eye on all the interns and what he observed told him everything he needed to know. George and Izzie weren't talking for obvious reasons and he knew why Meredith was intent on ignoring her as well. Grey couldn't handle knowing that her friend had willingly slept with a married man after what had happened with Derek. Yang seemed to be the only one that wasn't upset with Izzie and didn't seem to care. From what Mark observed, that although Yang wasn't upset with Izzie, she wasn't choosing sides either. What Mark couldn't figure out was why Alex Karev was angry. Seeing Izzie being shunned and isolated from her friends made Mark sympathize with her. He knew exactly how it felt to have no one to talk to or hang out with. It sucked being alone all the time.

For the past week, by unspoken agreement, he and Izzie would randomly meet for lunch in "their" spot. No conversations were ever exchanged, though they had started a habit of exchanging snacks. Without realizing it, Mark had begun looking forward to these random "hang outs" – for lack of a better term and he almost always made sure to pack extra snacks to exchange with her, whether it be an apple or potato chips or some other random thing. They weren't exactly friends but now that he had found out about Stevens' situation, he felt that he had somewhat of… okay well, he didn't know what he had (an ally, perhaps? Another member of the Dirty Mistresses Club?) but at least when he was sitting with Izzie, he knew there would be no judgments or criticizing. He could just be himself and not put up a front.

And sometimes it was those moments that kept Mark from going insane. Gossip had spread fast throughout the hospital that he and Addison no longer had a thing and everywhere he went, there were whispers and looks. He hated it.

Hours later, Mark was finishing up some paperwork when his stomach rumbled, letting him know that it was time for lunch. He gathered his things together and organized them, grabbing his lunch before leaving his office. He began to make his way down towards the observatory when he noticed Izzie hurrying after George to his left near the nurses' station. He stopped, watching as the blonde intern tried to stop her friend and George shrugging her off and continuing on. Again, Mark felt himself sympathizing with the blonde intern as he saw the crestfallen look on her face. Looking at her, Mark realized (again) that Izzie felt as he did, that she was empty and was on the verge of disappearing into herself. From where he stood, he watched as Izzie turned around and began walking away, back in the direction she had come from.

Realizing where she was headed, Mark gave her a few minutes before he began to follow her. He headed towards the coffee cart that was at the corner and purchased two coffees, a water bottle, a couple of baked pastries and a tuna sandwich. When he reached the observatory, he saw her sitting against the wall with her head buried in her knees and her shoulders shaking and he knew without a doubt that she was crying. He made as much noise as possible to alert her to his presence and saw that she was wiping her eyes as he entered through the doors.

Their gazes connected and Mark saw the vulnerability that was reflected in her eyes and it didn't sit right with him. He didn't really know Izzie Stevens all that well, but he had heard of her situation with Denny Duquette and from what he had seen over the past year, Stevens' had it rough. She was still on probation and that fact must've taken its toll, along with all the other mistakes she'd made. He saw the tiredness that was evident around her eyes and how almost lifeless they looked. But he also saw something else in her gaze, a little beacon of hope that made him realize that she was a fighter and that she wasn't done giving up yet.

Seeing that gave him hope as well.

Mark made his way over to her and settled himself down next to her. Without a word, he passed her one of the coffee cups, the water bottle and the sandwich. She glanced at the items, a surprise expression evident on her face but it quickly turned into one of thanks and she smiled appreciatively. Placing the box of pastries on the ground between them, he gave her a soft smile before opening his own lunch and taking a bite. They sat next to each other for an hour, not saying a word but just enjoying one another's company in peace.

--

**Please review! I'd love to hear what everyone thinks of this story!**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.

Parts of this chapter came from the episode 'What I Am' in season three. It's an insanely awesome episode, especially the part at the end where Bailey is giving that speech to Mr. Sullivan in that hospital room with Mark standing nearby. Love it!

**Reminder:** I know that some of the events in my fic took place at different times on the show, but in my fanfic, it happens the way I want it too. That's what fanfiction is for, right?

Thanks for everyone's awesome reviews! As soon as I read them, I immediately started working on chapter 4. I stayed up till three in the morning! (grins)

--

There was no doubt about it, Izzie Stevens was nervous.

She paced back and forth, trying to gather up the courage to knock on the door in front of her. All day long she had been debating whether or not to do this and had finally come to the conclusion that if she didn't, her guilt would drive her crazy. The fact that this situation was already driving her crazy with guilt was enough for her to know that she couldn't live with it for another minute.

And so, when she woke up that morning, she took extra care baking a delicious strawberry vanilla cheesecake in hopes that it would be a peace offering of some sort. In other words, she was hoping for the best but expecting for the worst.

Izzie Stevens was about to apologize to Dr. Callie Torres-O'Malley.

Of all her actions, Callie had been the one that had been hurt the most by them and Izzie felt extremely guilty because from the very beginning, Callie had done nothing but try and be her friend. Izzie sleeping with George had almost destroyed his marriage with her and as much as she didn't really like the other woman, Callie hadn't deserved to be treated so badly by her choices. It wasn't as if Izzie was in love with George like Callie was. She just made a drunken mistake.

She shook her head and let out a sigh.

Enough was enough. Izzie stopped pacing and before she could second guess herself, she knocked on the door of Callie's office. She took a deep breath and turned the doorknob when she heard the orthopedic surgeon called out "come in!"

If looks could kill, Izzie was sure she would've been buried six feet under. Callie's friendly look vanished the moment she had stepped into the room and was replaced with a look of anger and bitterness. Izzie shut the door behind her, trying with all her might to ignore the urge to run in the other direction. Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears and she took several deep breaths to try and calm down. She smiled nervously. "Um… hi," she said and then winced. Her voice sounded lame and timid, even to her ears.

"What do you want?" Callie's voice was cold and unfeeling.

"Um, I-I wanted to a-apologize," Izzie stammered. She held out the box that was in her hands. "…I made you some cheesecake," she added lamely.

Callie stared at her and Izzie did everything she could not to flinch or turn away from the Resident's gaze. After what seemed like an hour (but in actual reality was only two minutes) the orthopedic surgeon's gaze softened and she gestured towards the chairs in front of her desk, indicating that the blonde intern sit down. Izzie crossed the small space and sat down, placing the cheesecake onto the desk. Callie sat across from her and waited expectantly.

Izzie sighed and avoided Callie's gaze. She looked at her folded hands in her lap and decided that the best place to begin was at the beginning. "I haven't been very fair to you," she began. "And I know it's mostly my fault that we can't get along." Tears began to well up in her eyes as she continued. "George was my best friend, you know? And I don't know why I didn't like you off the bat… maybe it was because you managed to capture George's attention so easily or I don't know… I can't even explain it."

The tears slowly began to make their way down her cheeks. "The feeling only became worse after you two got married… it was just so quick and you guys barely knew each other… it's just… something inside of me snapped. It just wasn't fair…"

The tears fell faster and Callie suddenly looked alarmed, as if she hadn't expected Izzie to break down in tears right away, or ever.

"You and George were happy! And I was so jealous… you guys hadn't known each other for very long but the both of you had everything I wanted… that I was supposed to have if Denny hadn't died! I don't have anything left of him except for the sweater I made him… and then you guys come back from Vegas, all married and happy…. It was just so hard to be around it and see it… it made me sick because you guys were in love and I was alone… and… and…"

She took a deep breath and then looked up at Callie and was surprise to see sympathy in the other doctor's eyes. "George is my best friend and I couldn't get angry at him, so I took it out on you because you weren't my friend and you weren't close to me. I know it was wrong and I'm so sorry for everything… I'm so sorry for sleeping with George… we were drunk and it felt like old times before everything was all complicated and then I suddenly started thinking about Denny and then things just happened…" she trailed off. She maintained eye contact with Callie. "I'm really sorry. I just want to make things right again."

"Stevens…"

She cut Callie off before the orthopedic surgeon could say anymore. "Please, I need to get this all out before I lose my nerve," she paused and continued when Callie nodded. "I know that you and George are trying to work on your marriage and I respect that. I'll stay out of your way, I promise. I know you're trying to have a baby and I wish you the best of luck and I hope you guys are beyond happy." She took a deep breath and immediately felt all the tension fade away and she looked at Callie straight in the eyes. "I know that saying sorry won't change anything and that you probably won't forgive me… I just needed to apologize for my peace of mind and because I hurt you." She bit her lip and started to stand. "Okay, that's it. I know I'm probably wasting your time so I'll go now."

"Stevens, wait!" Callie stood up from her seat before the blonde intern had a chance to escape from her office. She made her way around the desk and went to stand in front of Izzie. The blonde intern stared at her nervously and the orthopedic surgeon felt herself softening towards her. She gave a small smile. "It must've taken a lot of guts for you to come here today, Stevens."

Izzie nodded. "I just couldn't live with myself anymore. I had to try to make things right."

"I appreciate that," Callie paused. She appeared to be thinking about something. Finally, she sighed and shook her head. "George misses you. He won't admit it but I know he does."

The blonde intern nodded once more. "I miss him too. But I know George, he'll talk to me when he's ready to and right now, its probably best that we're not talking to each other," she grinned. "I'm trying to find myself, you know. And for me to do that, I think I need to be by myself for awhile."

Despite herself, Callie smiled back. "Good luck with that Stevens. Thanks for the apology – and the cake, I appreciate it."

Izzie flashed another smile and turned, taking the cue to leave. "I hope everything works out for guys." It felt as if a whole weight had been lifted off her shoulders as Izzie shut the door to Callie's office behind her. She let out a happy laugh as she realized the impact of what she had just done. She was really doing it. She was really trying to change her life around.

And it felt _good_.

Maybe her luck was finally changing.

--

There was no doubt about it; Mark Sloan was having a crappy day.

The morning argument that he'd had with Derek over Shawn Sullivan was still fresh in his mind. Somehow the argument had gone from which was the best course of action for the patient to Meredith and Addison. It hadn't helped that Derek had fought him every step of the way, when he clearly expressed his opinion that Derek had no right to be so pissed off at the fact that he had also committed adultery with Meredith when he was supposed to be working things out with Addison.

But that was neither here nor there.

The highlight of his day so far had been seeing Meredith doped up on morphine as she was about to go into surgery for her appendectomy. It had been hilarious seeing the young intern being all spaced out without a care in the world. Finding out that everyone called him 'McSteamy' had been a huge ego booster for him but the feeling hadn't lasted long. As Meredith was being wheeled away for surgery, she saw Addison walking past him and without knowing why, he began to follow her.

He knew he shouldn't have followed her.

Sometimes Mark had to wonder if he was truly self destructive. He and Addison hadn't spoken one word to each other since his "confession" in the elevator. There had been a few awkward run ins, random professional conversations concerning a patient but for the most part, they had stayed clear of one another. He knew following Addison was a bad idea but he couldn't help himself and he had paid for it when he saw the redheaded doctor walk up to Karev and smiled coyly.

Mark rolled his eyes as the lowly intern returned the smile that Addison had flashed him. So, it seemed as if no one knew about their relationship yet. Great.

He needed a distraction.

Deciding that now was a good time as any, Mark decided to head up to the observatory for lunch. Hopefully Stevens would already be there and they could sit in miserable silence together. Perhaps it was a little bit selfish, but Mark relished at the thought that there was at least one person in the hospital that was as miserable as he was. They had yet to exchange one word with each other, but Mark enjoyed their silent companionship. At least while he was sitting with Izzie, he didn't have to pretend to be all cool and collected. He could just be himself… whoever that was. He could wallow in his misery.

He made his way up to the observatory and frowned when he realized that the place was empty. That was strange. He checked his watch and saw that it was ten minutes past twelve – Stevens should've been up here by now. She was usually there first and then he would come and they would have lunch together. It was a routine that he had gotten very used to in the last couple of weeks and he didn't appreciate it being disrupted.

He turned and quickly made his way down to where the surgical board hung. Maybe Stevens had been pulled into a last minute surgery… but wasn't she still on probation? It wouldn't make sense if she had scrubbed in on someone's surgery… where was she?

Fifteen minutes later, Mark found himself staring at the surgical board with a frown. The only person that was operating at the moment was Derek and it was O'Malley that had been assigned to be his intern. Shaking his head, he made his way to the cafeteria, keeping an eye out for the blonde intern as he walked. He walked into the cafeteria, ignoring the stares being directed at him as he looked around for Izzie. She was no where to be found! Mark suppressed a growl. He had no idea why he was so irritated at the fact that Stevens wasn't around, but he was. He stalked towards the lunch table where Alex and Cristina were sitting.

"Yang!" his voice boomed with irritation as he approached them. The fact that Alex Karev was sitting there only made his irritation grow. Cristina looked up at him with a bored expression as she took a bite of her pasta. "Where is Doctor Stevens?"

Yang snorted. "Do I look like the type of person to keep track of Barbie's whereabouts?"

Mark sighed with frustration.

"What do you want with Izzie, anyway?" Cristina's voice held a hint of curiosity.

Shit. He wracked his brain for a possible excuse. "I needed someone to fetch me a bone dry cappuccino."

Cristina rolled her eyes. "And what, you can't do it yourself?"

"I could get you your coffee, Dr. Sloan," Alex spoke up. Mark looked at Karev and knew that the only reason the intern was offering to get him a coffee was because he wanted in on his surgery that afternoon.

"I don't think so," Mark scoffed. "I want someone pretty to look at when I get my coffee."

His excuse sounded lame, even to his ears as he turned and walked away. Resigning himself to the fact that he would have to eat alone that day, Mark made his way back to the observatory wondering why he had tried so hard to find out where Stevens was. Did he really need her company that badly? Well, no… he was perfectly content with eating by himself but it was nice to have someone to wallow in misery with.

He checked his watch as he climbed up the steps to the abandoned observatory. Nearly a half hour had passed since he had gone looking for the blonde intern and he was pleasantly surprised when he pushed open the doors and found her sitting on "their" bench. His bad mood faded away instantly as Izzie looked up at him and grinned. Stevens looked a lot happier today than she had the last couple of weeks. He didn't know what had caused her mood to brighten but he was glad to see a smile on her face.

She nodded to the empty spot beside her, indicating for him to come and sit next her, and he walked up to her without hesitation and sat down. Without a word, he watched as Izzie reached into her lunch bag and pulled out a container of trail mix which she promptly offered to him. He smiled his thanks and accepted the healthy snack, popping a few pieces of nuts and dried fruit into his mouth. While he was chewing, he reached into his own lunch bag and pulled out a bag of sliced pears and handed them to her. Izzie flashed him another smile and immediately opened the bag for a piece of fruit.

And just like the last couple of times, they didn't speak a word to each other but settled comfortably in silence.

It wasn't until hours later that Mark realized why he had been so adamant on finding Stevens for lunch that afternoon. Why he craved only her company. And ironically, it had been thanks to Miranda Bailey that made him realize it. He had just finished operating on Shawn Sullivan, the man that had stupidly decided to light a cigarette in the hospital and in the process had caused himself to light on fire. His face had been badly damaged and Mark hadn't been able to completely restore the man's face to what it used to look like. The man was distraught at the thought of what his face would look like in a couple of weeks until Bailey had stepped in.

Listening to what Dr. Bailey had said to the Sullivan family had really hit home.

"_You have an incredible wife, Mr. Sullivan, and a half a dozen car salesmen in the lobby waiting to visit you. Your face may be different, but you know as well as I do that it's not about what you look like or your job or how successful you are. Its about having people in your life that you love and who love you. That's all that matters."_

The words had echoed in his head as he watched the dozen or so people in Shawn Sullivan's room, surrounding the man with love and laughter. And that was when it hit him – the realization of why he had been so irritated at the thought of Isobel Stevens not being in the observatory to have lunch with him. Why he had gone looking for her.

It was because he was lonely. He was at the lowest point he had ever been in his life and he had no one around for support. Having lunch with Stevens had started to become a regular thing and he didn't deny that he had started to rely on it being a regular thing. Being around Stevens during that short time every day had kept him from going crazy… kept him from feeling to lonely. Feeling miserable and being lonely with someone was way better than feeling it alone.

He, a successful plastic surgeon – possibly the best in the country, was jealous of Shawn Sullivan. Mark had people in his life that he loved, but they didn't love him back – at least, not anymore. They probably wouldn't even notice if he had gone missing or something. He had screwed up badly where Derek and Addison were concerned. He had no one. And that was why he had gone looking for Stevens at lunch today.

They may have not had a conversation yet, but at the very least, there was one person in the world that noticed his presence and cared.

--

Izzie was exhausted as she made her way home that night after her shift at the hospital. It had been a very long day and all she wanted to do was go home and take a hot bath and then fall asleep on her bed. As she walked home, she thought about her day.

After her talk with Callie, Izzie had been in an extremely good mood. The talk had gone better than she had ever hoped for and she finally felt that her life was starting to improve. She had run into the orthopedic surgeon several times through out the day and each time they had acknowledged each other in a friendly manner. It was definitely a nice change to all the hostility. Now if only her friends would speak to her again…

Izzie cringed at the confrontation that she had with Alex that day as it flashed in her mind. She had finally felt fed up and went to talk to Alex and find out why he didn't want to talk to her. She had never expected his reaction…

"_O'Malley?! I waited around for you while you were trying to get over a dead guy! Then you went and slept with O'Malley? And you told me this like I was one of your chick friends!"_

Yet, another friendship screwed up. No wonder Alex was so mad at her. She didn't blame him for reacting the way he did… she hadn't been very fair to Alex at all…

Izzie was so lost in her thoughts that she almost missed a wail coming from somewhere to her right. Hearing the loud whimpering, her head shot up and she looked around. She was about a block away from her apartment, near the local Starbucks. Hearing the sound again, her eyes scanned the area. Nothing. There was no one around. Was she going crazy?

The whimpering came again and this time she realized that it was coming from a nearby garbage can. Instinctively, Izzie walked over and peered inside and what she saw made her eyes widen in horror. At the bottom of the garbage can sat a small white puppy pitifully pawing against the metal sides and crying out loudly with sad sounds.

Izzie's heart melted and she carefully reached down and lifted the puppy out. "Hi, there," she spoke softly as she cradled the puppy in her arms. It was skinny and looked up at her with sad eyes. "Who in the world would abandon you? I can't believe someone would just throw you away like garbage." The puppy whimpered again and Izzie felt her mothering instincts take over and she made a split second decision. "It's okay," she cooed. "I'm going to take you home and take care of you, okay? You'll be alright."

She smiled as the puppy snuggled in her arms. It was nice to feel needed.

--

No Mark and Izzie conversations just yet, but I promise it'll happen soon!

I hunger for reviews! Please don't make me starve…


	5. Chapter 5

Most of the scenes in this chapter came from the episodes 'Walk on Water' 'Drowning on Dry Land' and 'Some Kind of Miracle'

I went back and watched these episodes again, looking for the name of the man that Izzie saved and I couldn't find it, so I made a name up. If anyone knows the real name of that patient, don't hesitate to tell me! For now, let's call him Teddy. =)

Also, I may have gotten all the medical terminology wrong. I used the exact ones from the show but spelling, meanings and other stuff might be wrong. I did look stuff up but you never know how reliable Google is, so if anyone notices a mistake, please don't hesitate to tell me! Thanks!

Disclaimer: Please, if I owned Grey's Anatomy, Mark and Izzie would have way more interaction on the show. All credit goes to Shonda Rhimes.

--

If someone were to ask Izzie Stevens how she got into this situation, she could honestly answer that she didn't know. The day had started off so well – she had woken up, fed the puppy and went to work as usual. The interns had been given a Triage test to which she had promptly failed when Sydney Herron pretended to seize and then die – _she was really annoying_ – and then the next thing she knew, the chief had come to deliver some bad news and she was riding in an ambulance on her way to a mass casualty incident that was nearby.

Cristina had looked incredibly annoyed that she had been left behind and Izzie almost wished that Bailey had picked her to be the one to stay instead of Cristina. Riding in the ambulance had been especially tense for Izzie, not only because she was worried about the trauma that she would find at the scene, but also because her fellow interns weren't speaking to her. It had been extremely awkward sitting between Alex and Meredith while no one said a word.

While they had been sitting, Izzie distracted herself by repeating what Triage meant and what to do in her mind. A Triage was the process of sorting people based on their need for immediate medical treatment as compared to their chance of benefiting from such care. _Green tags – non emergent. Yellow tags – delayed care. Red tags – immediate treatment. _She kept repeating it over and over in her mind.

She remembered feeling the shock of horror as she had climbed out of the ambulance and took in the scene in front of her. She had never felt so helpless in her life. There were people running around everywhere in hysteria trying to find their loved ones, people injured everywhere she looked and there was smoke filling the air from what looked like a ferry boat accident. Her heart was pounding in her ears as she stood frozen, unsure of what to do.

She turned to Bailey who had an equally look of horror on her face. "Dr. Bailey, where do you need us?"

"Where should we start first?" Meredith chimed in.

When her resident didn't answer, Izzie grew nervous. "Dr. Bailey!"

That seemed to snap the doctor out of her dazed reaction. "I don't have time to hold your hands. You know the protocol, go do it!"

Now it was Alex who spoke. "Do what?"

"Go help people!!" Bailey snapped as she walked towards the scene.

Izzie watched her mentor walk away and looked around once more before deciding to go left. She wandered around in a daze while paramedics and firemen rushed past her. She was startled when a man came up to her asking if she was a nurse or a doctor and once she had replied that she was indeed a doctor, the man dragged her off to where his friend was trapped under a car. She had tried to convince him that he needed to find the Search & Rescue Team for his friend but he had disregarded her protests and had her follow him anyway. He had led her to the garage of the ferry boat over to where a group of men were standing clustered around their friend that was trapped underneath a car. She learned that the man trapped beneath the car was a mechanic and that he had five kids and that he had been trying to help the people that were trapped when he himself, got stuck. She had done her best to try and stop the bleeding but the pool of blood coming from the man made her extremely nervous and she had no idea what to do. She especially became nervous when the man became limp and then went unconscious.

And then he started seizing.

Quickly as she could, Izzie did her best to hold the man still.

"Do something!" One of the man's friends was shouting.

"He's still seizing, there's nothing more I can do," she replied desperately.

"What are you going to do? You just can't let him die!"

The convulsing finally came to a stop and the man laid still. That helpless feeling hadn't left her and she felt tears come to her eyes. "I'm sorry! I'm out of practice… these last few weeks I've been watching… just watching… I… I'm sorry."

"There's gotta be something you can do. Please, I know this guy… I believe in him… I believe he can make it. You've gotta believe in him too. You gotta believe you can do this, please, don't stop now." The man was begging her to try and save the life of his friend. She couldn't let them down.

"Who's got a cell phone?" Izzie took a deep breath as the three men pulled out their phones and handed them to her.

_Here goes nothing…_

--

The phone rang once, twice, three times. Izzie was on the verge of freaking out… come on, she prayed silently.

"_Chief Webber." _

"Oh thank god, chief!" Izzie cried out with relief. "I've got a guy here and we can't extricate him and I've tried _everything_…"

"_Who is this?" _

"It's Izzie Stevens! I'm at the dock with a patient with a depressical fracture and probably an intracranial bleed."

"_Is he showing signs of increased pressure?" _

"Yes! His left pupil has blown and he's gone limp and is seizing and now his right pupil is dilating."

"_He could be herniating. What's your ETA to the hospital?"_

"That's why I'm saying, we can't get him out!" Izzie felt panic returning to her again. "He's stuck under a car and we can't get him out!"

"Okay, first you've got to stay calm - "

"I can't stay calm. Calm was over minutes ago. Calm is gone. Calm is an impossibility! I've got his best friends here and I can't let him die so please, just tell me what I need to do."

The long pause on the other end made her feel even more nervous.

"_You need to do some burr holes." _

"Burr holes?" she cried. "I can't do burr holes out here!"

"_Do you want to save his life, Stevens?"_ Webber's voice demanded over the phone.

"Yes!"

"_Alright. I need a minute to check something out of a book and then I'll talk you through it."_

"You're looking it up in a book?!"

"_I'm not a neurosurgeon, Stevens and I want to make sure we get this right."_ Briefly she heard the Chief yell in the background and then Sloan's voice through the line. After a few seconds, she heard Dr. Webber speaking to her once again. _"Stevens, listen to me…" _

Izzie listened and the closed her eyes. Letting out a sigh, she turned to the group of men that were still standing around their friend. "I'm going to need a drill."

The man closest to her nodded. "There's one in my truck."

"What do you need a drill for?" Another man asked.

Izzie swallowed her fear. "I've got to drill holes in your friend's head."

--

Mark never expected his day to end up like it did. The morning had started off well – the moment with him, Burke, Derek, Addison and the chief in the elevator had been the highlight. He had found it incredibly amusing to see that the chief had dyed his hair in order to try and impress women. He had overheard Derek and Burke talking of Yang and Burke's engagement and had spread the good news, until he learned about the terrible ferry accident. His day started to go downhill from there.

Most of his morning had been spent treating burn victims and for the most part, all of his patients were fine – something he was greatly relieved about. He was on his way down to the emergency room to see if he could be of help when he spotted the chief yelling for someone to grab him a copy of Boardman's Neurosurgery.

Recognizing the name of the textbook, he walked towards Dr. Webber. "Everything okay?"

"You know anything about making burr holes?"

"Done it a couple of times," he nodded.

"Good," the chief replied. "Don't go anywhere." Mark watched as Dr. Webber turned his attention back to the phone in his hands. "Stevens, listen to me…"

Hearing the chief say Izzie's name definitely got Mark's attention. He followed Webber into an office once a nurse had handed him the textbook he had asked for. "What's going on, Chief?"

"Stevens is down at the docks right now and there is a man trapped underneath a car that is injured badly. There's increased pressure in his brain. The man's friends are with her right now and from what I can tell, are trying to help Stevens."

Mark frowned. "And Stevens is going to drill some burr holes into the man's head to relieve the pressure?"

"Yes and I'm going to need your input."

Mark watched as the chief quickly flipped through the textbook and then placed his cell phone onto speaker and dialed Izzie Stevens. Right away, she picked up sounding frazzled and nervous.

"_Chief?" _

"You doing alright there, Stevens?"

"_I-I think so." _

"Good. Now I've got Dr. Sloan here with me and we're going to talk you through the procedure. Do you have the drill? Is it clean?"

"_Yeah."_ A pause. _"It's clean. I cleaned it a dozen times just to be sure."_

"Now remember Stevens, that drill isn't going to just stop like a neurosurgical drill so as soon as you feel the release of the pressure stop the drill or you'll pierce his brain."

"_Even if I don't see blood?"_ Izzie's voice sounded really nervous.

"Trust your instincts, Stevens," Mark suddenly spoke up, wanting to calm and encourage her. He made his way around the desk and sat on top of it. "Trust the feel of it."

"_I'm ready."_ He heard her sigh over the phone_. "No wait - I need to clean the drill off one more time." _

"You've cleaned it a dozen times, Stevens. It's as clean as it's going to get," the chief paused. "You ready?"

A pause._"Yes."_

"Okay, place three fingers above the ear and two or three fingers in front of that on the side where the first pupil blew."

"_Got it." _Her voice became a little more confident.

"Alright, now use a scalpel to make a vertical scalp incision down to the skull."

"_I see blood, a lot of blood."_ Izzie was starting to sound nervous again.

In the background, Mark could hear sounds of disgust coming from the group of men that were with Stevens. He hoped that they could keep it together for the intern's sake. "Superficial bleeding – it's nothing to worry about," he called out, hoping that she would stay calm.

"Are you at the skull?" the chief asked.

"_Yes." _

"Okay, drill a hole in the middle of the incision."

Mark held his breath as he heard some shuffling in the background and the sound of a drill starting and then – a man's voice_. "Oh god!" _

Time seemed to stop. Mark bit his lip as he waited for Izzie's reaction over the phone. The poor intern must be scared out of her mind at the moment and the man's disgusted reaction definitely didn't help. _Come on Stevens you can do this,_ he thought_. Don't lose focus._ He waited to see what Izzie would do.

"_Okay, that can't happen! Do you understand me?"_ Izzie's voice became a pitch higher as she spoke, her voice coming in loud and clear over the phone. _"Sounds can't happen! Freaking out can't happen! Because if you freak out, then I'm going to freak out and I'm the one holding a power drill to your friend's brain! So if you're going to vomit or make sounds, step away. If you're going to stay here, you have to pull it together, okay?" _

There was a pause but the man agreed_. "Okay, sorry doc." _

He heard Izzie take a deep breath._ "Okay, I'm ready." _

It was in that moment that Mark knew Izzie would be able to pull it off and he felt proud. He gave a nod even though he knew she couldn't see him. "The temporal bone is only going to be a couple millimeters thick." He heard Izzie take another deep breath and the sound of the drill powering up.

Izzie's voice came over the phone again a few seconds later. _"Okay, I'm in but the dural looks fine." _

"You'll have to go in again," the chief replied.

"_Frontal lobe, right?" _

"That's right," there was a hint of a smile on the chief's face as he exchanged a glance with Mark. "Just behind the hairline, a few centimeters off the midline."

"This bone will be thicker," Mark added. "About five times as thick as the temporal bone."

"_Okay."_ There was the sound of the drill going again. _"Second hole done."_

"What do you see?" Mark asked, his heart was pounding with anticipation.

"_I think I see blood, I-I see some blood…" _

"Okay, now this is extremely important. Drill around the hole to expand the opening, you have to try and relieve the pressure."

There were a couple more tense minutes of the sound of the power drill still going. Mark felt as if those minutes took forever. _"Okay, the hole is about two centimeters around now and I see blood… I definitely see some blood."_

The chief shook his head. "Try to evacuate as much of the blood clot as you can."

"_With what? I don't have suction!"_ Izzie was starting to panic once more.

"Use your finger," Mark called out. "Gauze, anything!"

"_I see clotted blood." _

"No arterial?"

"_No."_

"Good. Now how does the dural look? Is it bulging or does it look laxed?"

Mark held his breath as he waited for Izzie's reply. _"It looks like it's pulsating regularly with the heartbeat. That's another good right?"_ He let out a sigh of relief and exchanged grins with the chief. Stevens had done it. She kept calm and actually saved the man's life. Mark was impressed with just how well Stevens had handled herself.

"That's great, Stevens." The chief looked proud of the intern as well. "If it's pulsating that means blood and oxygen are entering the brain. Pack it with gauze so you can minimize the bleeding." They listened as Stevens ordered one of the men to get the search and rescue team. Richard removed his glasses and set it down onto the table. "Nicely done, Stevens."

Dr. Webber shut off his phone and looked up at Mark. "Sounds like the search and rescue team are on their way. Will you operate?"

He nodded. "Of course."

Dr. Webber stood up. "Let Stevens scrub in with you. She's officially off probation."

"Don't you think she should be able to do more than just scrub in?" Mark stood as well. He felt proud of Izzie and thought that she should be able to do more than just scrub in. "She did save the guy's life after all, and she didn't know what she was doing."

Richard stared at him for a moment and then nodded. "I'll have her meet you in the OR."

--

About a half hour later, the doors of the OR slid open and Mark looked up from where he was standing and saw Izzie entering into the room. Though his mask covered it, he grinned as the blonde intern approached him and he was glad to see the happy and excited expression in her eyes. She'd had a rough couple of hours and yet, there was no hint of apprehension in her eyes. That was good.

"Hi Dr. Sloan!"

Her browns eyes were warm and he couldn't help the grin on his face as it got wider. He was glad for the mask that was covering his face so she wouldn't see his expression. He stood near the patient's head, cleaning away at the head wounds and nodded at her. "We've agreed to let you do the honors," he told her. "A few more burr holes to start the craniotomy."

Stevens' eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

"You saved his life, you might as well help finish what you've started. After I strip off the periosteum you can see what a high speed surgical drill feels like."

The look that Izzie gave him was one that he couldn't describe but found that he liked it very much. Her eyes were sparkling with happiness, as if he had just informed her that she had saved the world. As he looked at her, it suddenly occurred to him that it their first real conversation since they had started to have lunch together. He didn't know why they hadn't talked before now but it didn't seem fitting that their first conversation be in an OR.

Mark inwardly shrugged. Oh well, you can't change the past.

They worked for about another hour in comfortable silence. Mark was surprised at how much he enjoyed Stevens' company and he wondered what would happen if they were to become friends… well, so far them spending time together hadn't been bad. Granted, they had yet to have a 'real' conversation that didn't involve work but that could be rectified, couldn't it? But before he could contemplate these thoughts any further, a pager beeped.

One of the nurses in the OR picked it up and looked straight at the blonde doctor. "Dr. Stevens, it's your pager."

Izzie gave the nurse a brief glance and then turned her attention back to the patient in front of her. "It's okay, it can wait."

The nurse shook her head. "I think you'll want to get this page."

He observed her expression as she took the page from the nurse and saw her face turn pale and her eyes widened. "Oh my god…"

"What is it, Stevens?" he asked.

She looked at him and Mark felt a chill rundown his spine. "It's Meredith, she's been in an accident."

He felt concern immediately washed over him and he nodded towards the doors. "Go ahead, Stevens. We're just about done here; I'll finish up and meet you at Grey's room." Izzie nodded and then left. It didn't take him long to stitch the patient back up again and once he was done, he made his way down to the room where Meredith was being treated. As he turned the corner, he saw Derek sitting against the wall with his head in his hands, staring blankly at the door across from him.

As strained as their relationship was, Mark knew that Derek needed him at that moment. They were best friends and there was no way he was letting Derek go through this without any support. Putting their problems aside, he slowly made his way towards his best friend and sat down next to him. Derek glanced at him with hallow eyes that were quickly filled with tears before looking away. Mark had no idea what to do and so, did the one thing that came to mind. He reached over and gave Derek's arm a squeeze; letting him know that he was there should Derek need anything.

He looked down the hall and saw Izzie standing with George and Alex about two feet away. All three interns were silent as they paced back and forth, waiting anxiously to hear news of Meredith's condition. From where he was sitting, he could see Stevens' expression clearly. She looked worried and tired and he felt a rush of sympathy for her. The poor intern definitely had a rough day.

There was a bit of commotion as Cristina came flying through the doors, the expression on her face clearly showed that she'd just heard the news. Both Mark and Derek looked in the interns' direction. "It's Meredith?" The stressed out expression on Cristina's face said it all.

George took a step closer to her. "Yeah," he replied softly.

"Are you sure George? Did you see her? Because it could be anyone –" Cristina made an attempt towards the door only to have Alex pull her back by the arm.

"It's Meredith," Alex confirmed.

Mark found the shocked expression on Yang's face a little disturbing since it was so out of character. The Korean doctor was normally blunt and in control of her emotions that it was strange to see her at a loss for words. He wanted to speak up and say something, offer some sort of comfort but he had no clue what to say so he kept quiet.

"She will come through this," Izzie suddenly spoke with conviction, causing everyone in the hallway to glance at her.

"You don't know that," George shook his head, his voice sounded dejected.

Izzie ignored George's words and grabbed Cristina's arm. "She will come through this," the blonde repeated.

"People die…" George's voice was soft.

It was the most he had spoken to her in weeks. Without letting go of Cristina's arm, Izzie turned towards George and stared at him straight in the eyes. "I know people die. People die in front of us every day. But I believe Meredith will survive this. I believe… I believe… I…" Izzie paused and took a deep breath before trying to get out what she wanted to say. She looked straight at Alex and then at Cristina, both of whom were looking back at her. "I believe in the good. I believe that it's been a hell of a year and I believe that in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, we will all be okay."

By now Izzie was aware that she had captured not only her fellow interns' attention, but also Mark and Derek's as well. "I believe a lot of things," she continued, looking at the two attending doctors as she did so. "I believe that…" her voice cracked a bit "I believe that Denny is always with me… and I believe that if I eat a tub of butter and no one sees me, the calories don't count. And I believe that surgeons who prefer staples over stitches are just lazy."

She let go of Cristina's arm and looked at both George and Alex. "I believe that even though the both of you are mad at me, we're still friends. I believe that because you're my friends, you'll be able to forgive me someday for hurting you with my actions. I believe that we survive… I believe that believing we survive is what makes us survive." Taking a deep breath, Izzie gathered Cristina into a hug. "She will be okay." She pulled back and then headed over to where Mark and Derek sat, sitting down in front of Derek. The blonde intern reached out and grabbed Derek's hand, giving it a hard squeeze. "She will be okay," she repeated, staring at the neurosurgeon straight in the eyes.

Watching Izzie consoling Derek, listening to the strength of her words, Mark felt as though he believed that Meredith would make it and that she would be alright.

--

Meredith had made it.

Mark grinned as he watched Derek embrace Meredith through the window of Meredith's hospital room. It had been a tense wait but no one had given up and Meredith pulled through. Around him stood Yang, Karev, O'Malley and Bailey, each looking just as relieved as Derek did and smiling bright smiles. He glanced around and with a start realized that there was a missing member from the group.

Izzie Stevens was no where to be found.

Instinctively, Mark knew where she was. He turned away from the window and quickly walked towards his office, grabbing his jacket and then heading towards the abandoned observatory where they had spent their lunches over the last couple of weeks. Night had fallen and Mark could feel the chill in the air as he made his way up the beaten path. He found her sitting on "their" bench bent over with her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. Without a second thought, he went over and sat down next to her.

As few minutes of silence went by as Mark contemplated on what to say to her. He looked over at her and observed her still frame. He knew that she knew he was there right next to her and after a moment, her shoulders were relaxed. He reached over and draped his jacket around her shoulders which caused Izzie let out a deep breath before straightening and looking over at him. She smiled at him which caused him to smile back.

"You did great today, Stevens," he told her. "You should be proud of yourself."

Izzie let out a sigh and closed her eyes. "Teddy could've died today."

"Teddy?"

"That man that I helped, the one that was trapped underneath a car. I found out his name while we were riding in the ambulance. He has five kids, you know? And he helped saved a dozen people in that ferry accident. He could've died, but he didn't." She let out another sigh and leaned back against the wall.

"It's because you were there to save his life, Stevens," he remarked.

She shook her head. "I don't think it's quite hit me yet. I actually saved someone's life."

"And you did it all on your own."

Izzie let out a small laugh and shook her head once more. "No, I didn't. I had you and the chief to help me and honestly, I don't know what I would've done if it hadn't been for you two. Thank you."

"I just happened to be there at the right time when the chief was looking for someone," he replied, shrugging off her thanks. "You were the one that was holding a power drill to a man's brain."

Izzie shook her head. "So many things happened almost all at once today. I'm finally off probation."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks," She closed her eyes. "I can't believe Meredith almost died too. Miracles took place today."

He was silent for a moment. "I believed you, you know," he told her. Izzie opened her eyes and glanced over at Mark and he met her gaze. "I believed all the stuff you said about Meredith pulling through because the way you said it, it left no other choice but to believe and I really think that's what made her pull through."

Izzie just smiled.

They sat there for a few more minutes before the blonde intern let out a laugh. "Do you realize that we just had a normal conversation for the first time? You're not even hitting on me!"

Mark smirked and placed a hand on her thigh. "Want me too?"

She playfully swatted him, pushing his hand away. "No!"

He let out a chuckle. "We should get inside. It's been a long day. You hungry?"

"I could use some food," Izzie agreed.

"Well, let's go get something to eat then, what do you say?"

Izzie stood up and pulled his jacket closer around her and Mark couldn't help but think she looked extremely attractive in his clothing. "I say, let's go for it."

--

Please leave a review! They are what motivate me to update faster!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.

**Reminder:** I know that some of the events in my fic took place at different times on the show, but in my fanfic, it happens the way I want it too. That's what fanfiction is for, right?

Thanks for everyone's awesome reviews, they've made me so happy! Please keep them coming!

Parts of this chapter came from the episodes "Six Days, Pts 1 & 2" – I absolutely loved how miserable Mark was and definitely thought it showed the audience a different side to him. My mind immediately started figuring out ways to insert Izzie into this difficult time of his and voila… chapter six is here!

This chapter takes place about a week after the ferry boat incident… (Chapter 5)

--

Mark woke up that morning feeling miserable and angry. It didn't take him long to figure out why he was in such a bad mood, in fact, he had already known he would wake up mad at the world. He slowly dragged himself out of bed and headed towards to the bathroom, his movements almost lifeless. Standing above the sink, he stared at himself in front of the mirror, taking in his appearance. This week would've been the week that he would be greeting his child into the world had Addison not aborted his baby… After a moment, he decided that he couldn't stand to look at himself anymore so he took a quick shower, got dressed and then made his way to work. It was just too hard to think about. Hopefully, his day would be kept busy and he wouldn't have to even think about anything other than surgery.

Unfortunately, karma was out to get him.

He had a feeling that nothing would be going right for him this week. Of all people, Alex Karev was the intern that had been assigned to him and considering the sexual relationship the younger man had going on with Addison; Mark wasn't in the mood to be around him. But misery loved company, and if Karev was his intern, he would definitely be feeling his wrath today.

"Karev, what did I tell you about how I like my charts… I like to round on pre-op _before_ post-op. Do you like wasting my time? Is it _fun_ for you?" He glared at the intern as if daring Alex to respond and argue with him.

"No sir," Karev responded, with a smirk on his face that made Mark want to punch his face in.

"Then get it right!" Mark snarled.

"Do you like abusing the interns?" Addison suddenly appeared in front of him and Mark narrowed his eyes. The redheaded doctor positioned herself so that she was facing him, almost as if she was protecting Alex from bloodily harm. She threw his words back at him. "Is it _fun_ for you?"

"Yes, it is," he replied, turning his glare on the woman in front of him. "And in case you've forgotten, you don't get the high horse this week, Addison. Not this week." Grabbing his charts, he stomped off angrily trying get as far away from Addison as he could.

--

Izzie was busy cleaning out her locker when Alex came barreling into the locker room with an angry expression on his face. He made a lot of noise as he opened his own locker and caused everyone to stare at him as the door slammed against the other lockers nearby. They all watched as Alex angrily took off his lab coat and stuffed it into his locker before pulling out his water bottle and taking a drink.

Cristina exchanged a glance with Izzie and she shrugged, not having any clue as to why Alex was in such a bad mood. With the exception of Cristina, the other interns still weren't talking to Izzie so the blonde doctor had no clue what was going on with her friends' lives at the moment. George and Meredith were also nearby, staring at Alex curiously.

"What's with you?" Cristina finally asked as Alex slammed his locker closed.

Alex just shook his head. "Sloan is an ass. Something must've crawled up his butt and died because I can't think of any other explanation as to why he's being an even bigger jerk than usual."

Izzie turned away from Alex and frowned. Dr. Sloan was in a bad mood? Briefly, she wondered what had happened and what was wrong. Alex normally complained when he was assigned to the plastics surgeon but today was worse than usual. She decided to check up on Sloan and quickly put all her things back into her locker, shutting the door. She quietly made her way out of the locker room without anyone noticing since they were all still listening to Alex rant. She checked her watch as she walked and saw that it was almost lunch time.

She walked down the hallway and frowned once more when she spotted Sloan walking up ahead and she knew that he was heading towards the observatory. Even though she was quite a distance away, Izzie could see just how miserable the plastics surgeon was. Dr. Sloan usually walked around with an aura of confidence and seeing him at a low point made Izzie wonder what had happened to have caused the doctor to walk around with an upset look on his face.

She quickly stopped by the cafeteria and bought enough food for two before walking up the beaten path that led to the abandoned observatory. Seeing Sloan sitting dejectedly against the wall almost broke Izzie's heart and she bit her lip, deciding that she would do whatever she could to help him through whatever he was dealing with.

The sky was cloudy and the air was a bit chilly, making Izzie shiver as she walked towards the attending doctor. She was dressed only in her blue scrubs but she found she didn't care if she was cold; all she cared about at the moment was the man in front of her. He looked up at her as she approached and gave her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Sloan," she greeted as she sat down. She handed him one of the sandwiches that she had purchased.

He looked at her for a moment before reaching out and accepting the offered sandwich. "Stevens," he nodded.

Izzie could tell that what ever that was bothering him; he didn't want to talk about it so she just smiled and undid the plastic wrapping on her own sandwich and took a bite. She watched him for a minute as he picked at his food and then surprised him as she reached over and grabbed his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Mark stared at her with wide surprised eyes. His eyes then traveled down to their hands to which she promptly gave another squeeze. He looked back up at her and she held his gaze. Suddenly, he understood. Without any words, Stevens was trying to tell him that should he need someone to talk too, she would be there to listen without any judgments and be supportive.

The thought that someone cared about him instantly made Mark feel better about the entire day. He didn't know if he would ever confide in Stevens, but the fact that the offer was there made Mark appreciative of it more than she would ever know. He smiled back at her and nodded, letting her know that he understood. Izzie returned the smile and just as they had done for the last couple of days, they sat in silence enjoying each other's company while eating their food.

--

The next morning was wet and drizzling as Izzie stood in line, impatiently waiting for her turn to order at the coffee cart in the lobby. She was tired and desperately needed some coffee before she began her rounds, since she had woken up extra early to bake. The memory of Dr. Sloan's miserable expression from the day before had stayed stuck in her mind for the better part of the evening that she had decided to get up early and bake him a few things in order to cheer him up. She had no idea where she stood with Mark Sloan, whether or not they were friends, but Izzie had a kind heart and just hated seeing someone so miserable. In her hands, she had a box of assorted baked goods, including blueberry scones which she knew were his favorite. She allowed her mind to wander for a few seconds when she suddenly spotted Alex ahead of her, whom was also waiting in line and before Izzie could attempt to even try to talk to her friend, she heard Alex placing an order.

"I'd like to get a vanilla latte for Dr. Sloan, please."

Izzie frowned. That wasn't Dr. Sloan's usual order. She watched Alex closely as he received the coffee and opened the lid to pour some sugar into it. Her frown became even wider and her eyebrows furrowed as she realized that Alex was purposely ordering the wrong coffee for the plastics surgeon, intent on making it an even harder day for him. Izzie suddenly became annoyed on Dr. Sloan's behalf, feeling protective of her newfound comrade even though she wasn't sure why. She wasn't sure why she was so concerned - she and Sloan weren't really friends - but the fact was, Dr. Sloan had been the only person that had been remotely nice to her in the past few weeks and she didn't appreciate someone trying to ruin his day, even if the person trying to ruin his day was one of her friends.

She watched as Alex walked away with a smirk on his face, coffee in hand and she shook her head. She turned her head back towards the front and realized that it was her turn to order, as the guy behind the coffee cart was looking at her patiently. "Hi!" she smiled cheerfully at the guy. "Can I get a caramel macchiato and one bone dry cappuccino, please?"

If Alex was going to try and ruin Dr. Sloan's day, well, then she was going to try and make it better. Minutes later she was exiting the elevator, the coffees in one hand and the box of baked pastries in the other. Looking around, Izzie realized that she had no idea where the plastics surgeon would even be at the moment so she decided to head towards the surgical board in hopes that she might find his schedule there.

It turned out that Izzie didn't have to look very far because as soon as she rounded the corner, she spotted the plastics surgeon yelling at Alex and then angrily handing him back the coffee that Alex had purchased earlier before stomping off in the opposite direction. She shook her head as she saw Alex talking to Dr. Montgomery and then she hurried after Dr. Sloan.

It took a minute but she found the plastics surgeon walking angrily into his office and she felt sympathy wash over her as she took him in. Even from behind, she could tell that he looked absolutely miserable and it probably didn't help that he was soaked from the rain outside. She knew how much he hated the Seattle weather. She took a deep breath, suddenly feeling nervous. Then she shook her head and knocked on the door.

"What?!"

Uh oh. He sounded angry. Izzie slowly pushed opened the door and poked her head inside only to see the doctor shrugging off his black leather coat and throwing it onto his chair. His clothes were also soaked to the bone and water droplets were sliding down the side of his neck. He spun around angrily to see who had knocked but softened when he saw who was standing in his doorway.

"Stevens," his voice was softer as he faced her. "Did you need something?"

"Um, well…" Izzie made her way into his office. "See, the thing is… I was standing in line at the coffee cart this morning and I noticed that Alex messed up your order… so… uh… I brought you the right one?" Izzie faltered as she noticed that the plastics surgeon was staring at her with an intense look. She was suddenly feeling intimidated. She also gestured towards the small box in her hands. "I also baked you a few things…you know, to cheer you up because you seemed so upset yesterday…"

Mark took the box and lifted the lid. Inside was an assortment of pastries ranging from strawberry muffins to blueberry scones, his personal favorite. Each item looked more delicious than the last. He looked up at the blonde intern, who regarded him with a nervous expression. He smiled; feeling extremely touched and shook his head. "Thank you, Stevens."

Immediately, Izzie let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "You're welcome, Dr. Sloan. You should change out of those clothes or you'll get sick. I'll see you later." She turned to leave.

"Stevens," he called after her and Izzie paused, turning around to look back at him. He smiled at her. "I have a reconstructive rhinoplasty surgery this afternoon; would you like to scrub in?"

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

Mark nodded.

"Yes," she replied, looking excited. "I'd love to scrub in. Thanks Dr. Sloan!"

He watched as the blonde intern walked away, making a mental note to write her name on the surgery board later and then looked down at the pastries that she had made him. He picked up one of the blueberry scones and put it into his mouth, marveling at how tasty it was. He swallowed and washed it down with a sip of the coffee that Stevens had brought with her, already feeling better as he set the box down on his desk and grabbed a dry pair of scrubs.

Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all.

--

As it turned out, his day didn't get any better.

The headache that he'd had that morning only worsened as the day went on. It was quite obvious that his walk in the rain had given him a cold and if he wasn't careful it could turn into pneumonia. Wonderful. A crappy cold to go with a crappy day.

"Dr. Sloan!"

Mark inwardly groaned. _And this day just got even worse._ He turned and when he noticed that Karev was hurrying to catch up with him, he rolled his eyes and continued on walking. He heard shuffling and suddenly the intern was right next to him trying to hand him the coffee he was holding.

"Bone dry cappuccino and I watched the coffee guy make it this time so no mistakes…"

Mark just kept walking.

" – Hey I noticed that you had a reconstructive rhinoplasty surgery on the board today and I'd really like to scrub in if it was at all possible…"

Hearing Alex speak about his surgery reminded him about the stunt that the intern had pulled that morning and how Izzie Stevens had tried to fix it and brighten his day. He then remembered that Addison had been there again this morning, defending Karev even when he had tried to sabotage his coffee. It made Mark wonder if Addison was just as miserable this week as he was.

He stopped walking and faced Alex. "Have you been working with Addison all week?"

Clearly he had caught Karev off guard. "Yes sir… Working… working a lot… working hard…just working…"

Mark raised an eyebrow. _Just working, huh? Right._ "Is she miserable?"

"I'm sorry?"

"It's just… I need to know if she's… at least miserable this week. Did she seem…. Is she miserable?"

"Oh dude," Karev nodded. "She's awful… She's torturing me… I seriously need to get away from that woman… I mean, she's completely and utterly 100% miserable."

Mark stared at him. _Karev, you are so full of shit. _"Good." He grabbed the coffee and began walking away again.

"So, can I scrub in?" the intern called out as he walked away.

_Over my dead body_. "No!"

--

"_You would've made a terrible father, Mark." _

Addison's words ran through his mind over and over again for the rest of the day. Mark left the hospital that day, wanting nothing more than to go to a bar and just drink the night away. He would never forget the piercing pain he felt of Addison's words as she spoke them. It was as if a bucket of ice had been poured over his head and then a truck had run over him. Agony and sadness gripped his heart as the day's events played over and over in his mind.

He never should've gotten out of bed this morning.

Why couldn't he ever be enough? Was he so terrible that no one wanted anything to do with him? He had ruined his relationship with his best friend for the woman he loved and in the end, he was still alone anyway. With his bag hanging off his shoulder, Mark walked to the parking lot of the hospital towards his car and at the last minute, decided to walk back to his hotel instead of driving. As soon as he got to the hotel, he would go to the lounge and drink the night away… yeah, that sounded like a good plan at the moment.

"_I did want a baby – I just didn't want one with you." _

Mark closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Addison was right. He would've made a terrible father. Even Callie Torres-O'Malley had agreed when he had spoken to her earlier. She didn't say it words, but Mark could read between the lines well enough to understand that she implied it.

Was it possible to love something even if it had never been yours? He had been foolish to think that he had been given a second chance. That baby had been his last chance… his last chance to redeem himself… his last chance at having a family… There was no way he could get his life back on track now… he was most likely doomed to live his life alone forever.

He was about halfway to his hotel and walking through the park when a loud bark interrupted his thoughts. He stopped and looked around, wondering where the barking was coming from. And that was when he heard a voice.

"Jasper! Jasper, come back here! Jasper!"

In front of him, he saw a little ball of white fluff running his way. Instinctively, he reached out and grabbed the small puppy before it could run away any further and began walking towards the owner. Emerging from behind a bush on the pathway, Mark was surprised as to just who was looking for the dog in his arms.

Izzie Stevens stood in front of him dressed in black sweatpants and a soft pink sweater. She was holding onto a leash and looking around with a worried expression that changed to one of surprise when she saw him. "Dr. Sloan!" her eyes traveled to the bundle of fur in his arms. "Oh, you found Jasper!"

The puppy barked playfully when he saw his owner and attempted to struggle to get down. Seeing this, Izzie immediately strapped the leash she was holding onto the collar. "Oh no, you don't!" she spoke to the dog. "You're not running away from me again! Bad Jasper!" Hearing the harsh tone, Jasper began to whimper softly, causing Izzie to sigh and take the puppy into her arms. "What am I going to do with you?" she spoke to the puppy with a smile on her face.

Mark cleared his throat and she looked up smiling at him. "Hi, Dr. Sloan. Thanks for catching Jasper here."

"It's no problem, Stevens," he nodded. "Cute dog."

"Thanks!" Izzie grinned. "I found him abandoned in a trash can last week when I was on my way home. Ever since then this little guy has brought chaos to my life."

"You took him in?" Mark asked, though he wasn't very surprised to hear that Stevens had adopted a stray dog. She seemed like the type of person that would care about animals. He had to admit though, seeing the blonde doctor cuddling the little white fur ball as it licked her face was very endearing.

Izzie nodded. "I couldn't just leave him in the trash can!" She giggled as Jasper licked her face once more. "Isn't he just adorable?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

Izzie looked up from Jasper and stared closely at the man in front of her. She noticed that he looked even more miserable than when she had last saw him, which was when she was assisting him on his surgery that afternoon. Mark Sloan looked exhausted and immediately she felt concern wash over her. "Are you alright, Dr. Sloan?"

Mark stared at her, unsure of what to say.

In the distance, lightening flashed and the rumble of thunder could be heard. Within seconds, it began to lightly rain and Izzie took it as a sign. She quickly grabbed Mark's hand and tugged on it. "Come on! My apartment is a block away; you can wait out the storm there." And without waiting for his answer, she began dragging him across the park.

Fifteen minutes later, he found himself in Stevens' tiny apartment. He looked around the small place and decided that the area was indeed where the blonde intern lived. There was a small couch in the living room with a small television sitting on a coffee table right across from it. On the sofa, was a soft pink blanket folded neatly with a few oddly shaped pillows. There were picture frames hanging on the walls and at a closer glance, he saw that they were pictures of Izzie and her intern friends. The kitchen was also pretty small, but the smells emitting from the area told him that it had been used quite recently.

He was distracted from his observations of the place when Izzie exited the bathroom with a green towel in her hands. She walked straight towards him and handed the towel to him while saying, "Sorry, I don't have any extra clothes for you to change into."

Mark took the towel and gestured towards his bag that he had left by the front door. "It's alright. I have a change of clothes. May I use your bathroom?"

"Of course," she grinned and pointed to where her bathroom was.

It only took about five minutes for him to dry off and change into his sweatpants and navy blue t-shirt and when he entered the living room again, he found Stevens standing in the kitchen making some hot chocolate. The apartment was nearly dark and the only source of light was coming from candles that she had lit while he had been changing. She smiled at him as he took a seat at the counter and she passed him a mug. He smiled his thanks and brought it to his lips, letting the warm liquid slid down his throat. Nearby, Jasper was sniffing around his bag, pawing at it with curiosity.

A plate of muffins was placed in front of him and Mark tore his attention away from Izzie's dog to the creation in front of him. It was the same muffins that she had included into the box she had given that morning. He broke off a piece and put it into his mouth and as soon as he did, he realized just how hungry he was. Izzie sat across from him and watched as he ate. The comfortable silence continued as he finished eating and for a few minutes, they sat and just sipped their hot chocolate.

Finally though, Izzie couldn't stand the silence anymore and her curiosity got the better of her. She couldn't forget the hurt expression that was on Mark Sloan's face earlier at the park and being the person that she was, she wanted to wipe that expression off his face. She reached across and laid a hand on his arm, grabbing his attention and she repeated the question that she had asked just before it had started to rain. "Are you alright, Dr. Sloan?"

Mark immediately wanted to pull his arm away and not answer her question but taking one look at the concerned expression on the blonde's face, his resolve broke and he gave a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm alright, Stevens. It's just been a really rough week… and an extra rough day."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Her question was met with silence and Izzie quickly tried to amend her words. "I-I mean, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want too, but if you do, I'm here to listen."

The rain outside had turned into a raging storm and in the candlelight; he thought that Stevens looked absolutely beautiful. She gazed at him with an encouraging expression, one that was similar to the expression that she had given him yesterday during their lunch time. This particular expression was filled with warmth and care and it made Mark want to take a chance and open up to her.

"This was the week that my baby was supposed to be born," he spoke sudden and watched as Izzie's eyes widened with shock. He told her everything… how he had fallen in love with Addison, how Derek had caught them in bed together, how she became pregnant and then aborted his baby. All the while, Izzie sat staring at him in shock but when he was finished his story, she grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I'm sorry for all you had to go through," she said softly.

"Do you think I would make a terrible father?" he asked her.

Izzie looked thoughtful. "Well… do you like kids?"

Instantly, his mind reverted back to his conversation with Callie and he sucked in a breath. He could already see where this was going. Why had he even bothered asking? He already knew he would make a terrible father. He realized that Izzie was still waiting for him to answer. "I don't know," he sighed, repeating his earlier answers from his conversation with Callie. "Depends on how loud they are."

"Do you like doing family type activities? How are you around your family?"

"I don't have a family," he hesitated, avoiding her gaze. Jasper came up to him and he smiled, bending over picking the puppy up and placing him in his lap. He stroked Jasper's fur. "Derek and Addison were my family."

"Would you remember birthdays and anniversaries?"

"No, probably not…. I don't know… sometimes." Mark continued to look down at Jasper as the puppy settled itself on his lap. He didn't want to hear what she had to say after hearing his answers. Jasper let out a soft whimper as he fell asleep against Mark's stomach and he continued to stroke the dog's fur.

"I think you've got it in you to be a good father."

His head shot up and he stared at the woman in front of him. He studied her expression, wondering if she was just saying that to make him feel better but all he could find was truth in her eyes. "You do?"

"Yeah," she shrugged, taking another sip of her hot chocolate.

"Why?" he couldn't help but ask.

"You remembered that this week would've been the week that your baby would be born," Izzie pointed out. "But let's just forget about all the questions that I've asked for a moment and focus on something important." Izzie paused to make sure that she had Mark's attention before speaking again. "Whether or not you'll be a good father depends entirely on you. Parenting doesn't come with a guide book, it all depends on what you think is right and wrong and through trial and error. The fact that you're mourning over something that you've never gotten to hold in your arms tells me that you've got everything in you to be a good father."

At this point, Mark had closed his eyes, trying to keep the tears that had gathered in his eyes from falling. He swallowed.

"Having a baby changes your life and I'm very sorry you never got a chance to meet him or her," Izzie said, softly.

Mark opened his eyes at her last statement and stared at her once again. He had a feeling that Stevens knew more about her last sentence than she let on. Izzie, noticing his gaze, bit her lip and briefly wondered if she should share her secret. It would be fair, she amended, and after all he did just share a big secret with her. She took a deep breath and reached for her purse that was lying on the side of the counter and pulled out a photograph, handing it to Mark.

He took the photograph and looked at, instantly realizing that the little girl in the picture was an exact image of the woman in front of him. He looked up at her in shock. "Is this your daughter?"

She smiled sadly and shook her head. "She was. I had her when I was sixteen but gave her up for adoption because I wanted more for her."

"You gave her up?"

She nodded. "I grew up in a trailer park. Most nights we could barely afford to feed ourselves, let alone a baby."

Mark stared at the photograph.

"The point I'm trying to make is, that no one is perfect," Izzie said gently. "I think Addison was wrong for aborting your baby without considering your feelings and I also think she was wrong about _you_. The moment you hear a child's heartbeat or their first cry, it changes you. The first moment you hold your child in your arms, you know there is nothing you wouldn't do to make them happy. You become an entirely different person. I think you'll make a great father because you wouldn't let yourself be nothing but the best."

"She aborted the baby because it was mine," he muttered. "She wanted Derek's baby."

Izzie shrugged. "Her loss."

Her words filled him with warmth that he never thought he would ever feel and he looked at the blonde in front of him with wonder. He could tell that she really believed what she was saying, the truth reflecting all in her eyes. He suddenly felt unworthy of such words but nonetheless wanted them to be true. Who knew? Maybe someday he would be able to find out… "Thanks, Stevens," he said softly. "That really means a lot; you have no idea just how much."

She grinned at him. "It's Izzie."

"....What?"

"The entire time we've known each other, you've always called me 'Stevens' – which is fine when we're at the hospital but I think since we just had this huge conversation in which secrets were shared, you should call me by my first name," Izzie suggested. "What do you think?"

Mark found himself smiling. "Alright, but then you have to call me Mark."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she giggled, then glanced out her windows and frowned. "It's still raining pretty hard. Do you want to stay the night? There's no way you can walk home in this weather."

"I wouldn't be putting you out, would I?" he asked frowning. Her apartment was tiny, there was no way there would be room for him.

"Of course not, you can sleep on my bed and I'll take the couch"

"What? Absolutely not! It's your home, I should have the couch."

"Sorry to burst your bubble but that couch is small. There's no way you can sleep on it and still be comfortable. I insist you take my bed!"

They went on to argue for another half hour about sleeping arrangements before Izzie finally suggested that if he could keep his hands to himself, they would share the bed. Mark was surprised at her offering but quickly agreed as the thought of trying to make a pass at her never crossed his mind. It was strange, in the hours that they had spent talking, a bond had formed and he couldn't shake the feeling that it was one they both held onto. He had a feeling that Izzie needed a friend just as much as he did and that there was now an unspoken agreement between them to confide in each other.

He had to admit that a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders after talking to Izzie that evening. It was a stroke of luck that he had decided to walk home from the hospital that day and then running into Stevens at the park. It was a nice feeling to have, to know that someone would listen and care. As he laid on the right side of Stevens' bed, he thought about their conversation. She had confided a huge secret in him, one that even her friends didn't know about. Mark knew that he would take that secret with him to grave because she trusted him with it.

"You don't snore, do you?"

Izzie's question interrupted his thoughts and he let out a chuckle. She laid on the left side of the bed, while Jasper snuggled between them, looking at him and waiting for him to answer. He looked at her and shook his head slightly. "I don't know. No one's ever told me if I did."

She rolled her eyes. "I guess I'll find out."

"You should be so lucky," he winked at her, feeling his flirtatious side start to come out. "I'll have you know I'm an excellent bedmate."

She let out a full fledged laugh before rolling onto her side, her back facing him. "Good night, Mark."

He felt a shiver run down his spine at the affectionate tone that she said his name him in. He liked the way she said his name… He smiled softly, "Good night, Izzie."

--

Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.

**Reminder:** I know that some of the events in my fic took place at different times on the show, but in my fanfic, it happens the way I want it too. That's what fanfiction is for, right?

**Note:** I actually inspired someone to like McStizzie! How awesome is that?! It's usually me who is inspired by other people… and to hear that people are starting to become McStizzie fans because of _my _story is extremely exciting to me! Whooo!

Special shout out to WinchesterSmile, listentoyourheart555, LisaLevine and Alexandra for _always_ reviewing every chapter! I look forward to your reviews the most (grins) it's mainly because of you guys that my updates are as quick as they are!

--

Mark woke up the next morning to something wet. He opened his eyes and saw Jasper in front of him licking his face. With a groan, he stretched and sat up, grabbing the white puppy and settling him on his lap. Jasper barked playfully, leaping up and placing his two front paws on his chest trying once again to lick his face. Mark chuckled at the dog's playful manner and reached out to rub behind Jasper's ears.

He took a few moments to play with Jasper, contemplating last night's events. After telling Izzie about his horrible week, he had never felt better. Last night was the first time in months that he'd had a restful sleep. And he knew that it was all thanks to Stevens. No one had ever taken the time to talk to him about his problems nor tried to brighten his day by making him blueberry scones and bringing him his favorite coffee. It was amazing how just a small act of kindness could turn a person's mood around. He hadn't felt this good about himself in such a long time.

There was some noise and he looked up and saw Izzie standing at the doorway, dressed and ready for work. She walked in and smiled when she noticed that he was awake. Glancing down at the bundle of fur on his lap, she frowned. "Did Jasper wake you? I'm sorry, I haven't gotten him very well trained yet."

"Its fine," Mark nodded. "Thanks for letting me crash here last night."

"No problem, if you want you can shower here," she suggested. "I'll make us some breakfast."

He nodded and made his way to the bathroom. Once inside, he noticed the green towel that he had used the night before was hanging on the wall and he smiled. For some reason, he found Izzie domestic tendencies very endearing. No one had ever really tried to take care of him before, it was definitely a nice feeling and one that he could get used to very fast. He jumped into the shower and was done in fifteen minutes. He got dressed in the clothes that he wore the day before and made his way back out into the living room, where he could see the blonde intern standing in the kitchen making what looked to be pancakes.

He headed towards the counter and sat down, causing Izzie to promptly place a plate of breakfast in front of him. He looked down at the plate and his mouth watered. Everything looked and smelled delicious! Pancakes, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, toast, hash browns… He couldn't decide which to eat first! His decision was made harder when Izzie placed another plate of blueberry scones in front of him as well. He looked up at her in wonder. She had made another fresh batch of blueberry scones just for him? _Amazing…_

She smiled at him and gestured for him to eat. Jasper then barked, causing her attention to shift from him to her dog and she immediately reached for the dog food that was in the cupboards. As soon as she filled the dog dish and placed it on the ground, Jasper attacked the kibble with a passion.

As they ate, he watched as Izzie reached into her fridge and began pulling out sandwich fixings. Within ten minutes, she had two sandwiches wrapped up and placed into two lunch bags. She filled them both with small bags of baby carrots and a few of the cookies that she must've baked that morning since they smelled fresh. Then she passed one of the lunch bags to him and he stared at her with a surprised expression on his face. "You made me lunch?"

"Yup!" she replied cheerfully.

"Thanks Izzie," he said appreciatively, wondering what he had done to deserve such treatment.

"No problem! I used to make lunches and breakfast for the others all the time," she spoke softly, her voice taking on a sad tone. "It sucks when I only have to cook for myself."

He didn't know what to say. "Well, you can make breakfast for me anytime, this stuff is amazing." And her breakfasts really were. He couldn't remember the last time he ever had a home cooked meal, let alone someone to eat with. It had been a long time since he had shared anything with someone… He cleared his throat, wondering if he should ask the question that had been on his mind since he got into the shower that morning. Deciding that it couldn't hurt, he did. "I thought you lived with Grey and Karev."

She looked at him, pain filling her eyes and she shrugged. "I did. Actually, I kind of moved out without letting them know I was moving out. They wouldn't talk to me and I was sick of all the animosity that was being directed towards me. I figured that if I moved out, I wouldn't have to be around all that negative energy and I could focus on making myself happy."

"Are you happy?" He couldn't help but ask.

She looked thoughtful. "I think I'm doing alright. It's lonely, having no one to talk too, but I manage and I've got Jasper so it's not too bad…" she looked at him and smiled. "And I think I've got you now."

Her statement surprised him but he realized the truth of it. He smiled back. "I think I've got you too."

Their breakfast conversation that morning broke whatever doubt each of them had. By an unspoken agreement they became friends and as they left for work, both realized that they now each had someone to be there should they ever feel lonely again.

--

It was lunchtime and Izzie made her way from the locker room towards the abandoned observatory, where she knew Mark would be waiting for her. All day long, Izzie had wondered just how she and McSteamy became friends but had chalked it up to the fact that the timing couldn't have been better. She briefly wondered if fate had a way of doing things because from what she could tell, Mark needed someone just as she did.

She entered through the doors and saw that the plastics surgeon was already sitting on the bench, waiting for her and eating the lunch that she had made for him. A smile appeared on her face and she headed over to him. "Hey!" she greeted happily, already feeling better at the thought of seeing a friendly face. She sat down next to him. "So, I had a crappy morning."

He glanced over at her, an amused expression on his face. "What happened?"

"I interned with Dr. Torres-O'Malley this morning," she informed him.

Mark winced. "Ouch. How did that go?"

"Actually, that part wasn't too bad," Izzie opened her own sandwich and took a bite. "We can be civil to each other. It's what happened afterwards that was so crappy. George came in and basically ignored me while being all friendly to Callie." She took another bite and shook her head with frustration. "I don't understand why I'm the only one that's being shunned. It takes two to tango. Why aren't people mad at George too? It's so unfair!"

Mark grinned and raised his eyebrow suggestively. "You're welcome to tango with me."

Izzie rolled her eyes. "So, not the point I'm making. You're my boss."

"So?"

"_So?_" Izzie sighed exasperatedly. "I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer."

"I'll have you know that I am great in bed."

"I'll have you know that I'm also great in bed," Izzie countered.

"So, what's the problem?"

Izzie rolled her eyes for the second time. "I'm not going to sleep with you Mark."

"But if you're good in bed and I'm good in bed, wouldn't it be fun if we did it together? Think of what could happen - I'm guessing it'll be mind blowing."

"Do you use sex as a defense mechanism or something?" Izzie asked. "Maybe you should lay off the sex for awhile."

Mark didn't bother to tell her about the sixty day pact that he'd had going on with Addison. Instead, he took her suggestion into consideration. "But then what will I do to pass the time?"

She looked at him, taking the last bite of her sandwich. "You can hang out with me."

"You mean," Mark's eyebrow furrowed. "You'll have sex with me?"

She gave him a pointed look. "What did I just say about leaving it alone for awhile? Jeez, it's like what I said just went in one ear and out the other. You must have selective hearing." She rolled her eyes for the third time. "No, we'll hang out. Do activities and stuff."

Mark was silent, thinking about all the things she said.

"I think the fact that you have sex with lots of women is your way of ensuring that you're not alone. But don't you see? All those women you've slept with – it may not make you feel lonely at that point in time, but the moment you're done having sex, that's the moment you're empty again," Izzie continued. "I think you have a lot of love to give, Mark, but you have to love yourself first and having sex with tons of women and not dealing with your feelings is not the way to do that."

"What… are you my psychiatrist now?" he grumbled.

"Yeah, and you need a friend," she grinned. "And it just so happens I need a friend, so I'm going to officially adopt you."

Mark snorted. "Adopt me? Like you adopted Jasper?"

"Exactly, and just so you know, once you adopt someone you can't give them back."

A warm feeling spread through his being and he mentally laughed at her words. Izzie was adopting him. _Adopting. _Like he belonged with her. As he thought about it, Mark realized that belonging to someone didn't sound so bad. In fact, it was something that he unknowingly wanted and now, here was Isobel Stevens was offering her friendship to him – no, _demanding_ her friendship on him – and he found that he didn't mind. He rather liked it, actually. He let out a laugh and looked at her. "Alright," he agreed. "I'll let you adopt me."

She giggled. "Like you have a choice."

--

You know what to do ;)


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.

**Reminder:** I know that some of the events in my fic took place at different times on the show, but in my fanfic, it happens the way I want it too. That's what fanfiction is for, right?

Thanks for everyone's awesome reviews! Please keep them coming!

--

Mark was dreaming again. This time his dreams were filled with happiness, of something his heart desired but he knew he could never have. He dreamed that he and Addison were married and walking through the park holding hands, while their two children – _one boy with chestnut brown hair and a little redheaded girl_ – ran happily in front of him. He laughs as his daughter runs up to them and hands him a flower, and he bends over to give her a hug and a kiss. He feels Addison's presence as she walks up behind him and he stands up, wraps his arms around her waist and leans over to give her a kiss…

Mark opened his eyes.

_It was only a dream._ Mark groaned as the reality of his situation set in. Addison wasn't his wife. He didn't have a son or a daughter. And he definitely wasn't happy.

He was alone.

He rolled over in his bed and buried his head underneath his pillow and willed himself to fall back asleep. He wanted to keep dreaming…

A minute later - just as he was about to drift off back into dreamland - his cell phone began to ring, jerking him back into reality. Groaning, he ignored it hoping that if he didn't answer it, the person on the other end would take the hint and leave him alone. After a few seconds his phone fell silent and he relaxed, attempting once more to fall back asleep.

Again, his phone rang, the ring tone blaring loudly. Growling with frustration, Mark flung the pillow off his head and reached over to his nightstand to grab his phone. He laid on his back with his eyes closed and brought the phone up to his ear. "What?!"

"_Well, aren't you just a bundle of sunshine in the mornings!" _The voice on the other end sounded amused.

His eyes opened. "Stevens?" he asked, confusion filling his voice.

"_The one and only!" _

"Why are you calling me? It's only…" he glanced at the clock on his nightstand. "Eight-thirty in the morning! On a Saturday, I might add. On my _only_ day off this week!"

"_I'm waking you up! Hurry and get dressed, I'm coming over in twenty minutes!" _

"How did you even get my number? I don't remember giving it to you," he spoke grumpily into the phone.

"_I have my ways,"_ Mark could hear her laugher. _"Now, time to get up!" _

He shook his head even though he knew she couldn't see him. "Forget it, Stevens. It's my day off and I'm going to spend it how I see fit." With those last words, he hung up on her and rolled over in his bed and attempted to sleep once more.

Not even ten minutes later, there was a loud knock at the door. He ignored it hoping that Stevens would get the hint and go away. But the knocking kept coming and after a minute of listening to the pounding, he felt so irritated that he dragged himself out of bed and answered the door. As soon as the door swung open, Izzie breezed past him and made her way into his hotel room.

"Yes, please come in," he said sarcastically to himself as he closed the front door.

Izzie ignored his sarcasm though and looked around. "Wow! Nice place… oooh! Awesome kitchen!" She ran into the area and immediately began exploring through the cupboards and the fridge. "Everything is so shiny and new! Do you even use any of your pots and pans?"

He stared at her. "What are you even doing here?"

Izzie smiled and began pulling things out of the fridge. "Well, last week I noticed that we both had today off. Being me, I decided that we needed to make the most of today before we have to go back to our crazy schedules tomorrow. I made plans for today, fun plans and _you_ are going to hang out with me!"

His stare turned into a glare. "I already had plans for today, Stevens. I was planning on catching up with my sleep!"

She snorted in an unladylike manner. "Sleeping the day away is not productive."

"How did you even find out where I lived?"

The blonde intern rolled her eyes. "I told you, I have my ways. Now go shower and get dressed! Time is being wasted away and I want to get going by ten. And I'm not taking no for an answer!" she added, seeing that he was about to protest.

Knowing that she wouldn't change her mind, Mark let out an irritated sigh and proceeded towards his bathroom and did as she demanded. "And dress casual!" she yelled at his retreating back. Grumbling, he shook his head as he stripped off his sweatpants (he never slept with a t-shirt on…) and turned on the water. As he stood under the hot spray, he thought about his dream and how much he wished that it was true. He let out a sigh. _Some things were just meant for lucky people…_ It was difficult getting over Addison when Mark had been practically in love with her for years. Maybe it _was_ a good thing that Stevens came over today; he could definitely use the distraction.

Fifteen minutes later, he switched the shower off and grabbed his towel to dry off. He then wrapped the towel around his waist and made his way back into the general area of his hotel room. Izzie was standing in his kitchen, aromas of food could be smelled as he made his way towards her and sat down at the counter. He felt a smile come to his face as he watched the blonde bustle about in his kitchen. There was just something endearing about the picture she presented.

"Do you always walk around naked in your room?" Izzie turned and rolled her eyes when she saw him, placing a cup of freshly brewed coffee in front of him. "I mean, at least put on some pants!"

He smirked, already feeling his bad moon fade away. "Why?" he asked, slyly. "Am I making you uncomfortable, Stevens? Are you all flustered at the thought of me being naked? Want me to drop the towel and let you see what's underneath?"

She snorted. "Must you always make some sort of sexual comment?"

"Yes," he stated as she turned back towards the stove.

"Well, I guess you can't help yourself," she sighed. "Oh well. You wouldn't be _you_, if you didn't." She turned back towards him and placed a plate of waffles, scrambled eggs and sausages, and a fruit salad down in front of him. He looked up at her with surprise.

"You found all this food in my fridge?"

She raised an eyebrow. "How else do you eat in the mornings?"

"I order room service."

"Why do you order room service when there are fresh groceries in your fridge?" she asked, looking perplexed.

Mark shrugged. "I didn't even know there were groceries in my fridge. I guess the maids stock up while they clean the room when I'm not here."

"Unbelievable," she rolled her eyes once and shook her head. "It must be nice to have all that money to waste."

He looked thoughtful at her last statement. "Actually, now that you mention it, you're right. I don't think those pans or that stove has ever been used before. I can't cook."

"It's amazing you're in such good shape if you're eating out all the time."

The plastics surgeon gave the blonde intern an interested look. "Are you checking me out, Stevens?"

She looked at him with distain. "You have a one track mind, don't you?" She let out another sigh. "Finish your breakfast."

He looked at her hopefully. "I don't suppose you've made me some blueberry scones…"

The blonde laughed. "As a matter of fact, I did! But you don't get them until we're sitting in the car and going where we're supposed to go."

"And where are we going exactly?"

"I'll tell you in the car."

They sat in silence while he finished eating the breakfast that Izzie had made him. He would never admit it out loud to her but he was glad that she had come by. Already his day was looking up. He had forgotten how much fun it was to just sit and joke around with someone. It was also a lot of fun trying to get a reaction out of her, he grinned. Most women would instantly melt into a puddle or giggle at his sexual innuendos but not Izzie. She was in a league all her own.

He finished his food not long after and made his way to his room to get dressed. "Remember, wear something casual!" Izzie called out again. "We're probably going to get dirty today."

He stopped and turned to face her, the towel still wrapped around his waist. "How dirty?" he asked, his voice becoming deeper and oozed with as much sexual tone as he could muster. "Should I even bother getting dressed?"

Izzie laughed. "Not that kind of dirty, Casanova! Just go get dressed already."

Mark chuckled as he walked into his room. Seconds later, he walked out dressed in blue jeans and a black t-shirt. He quickly grabbed his jacket, wallet and keys as he followed Izzie out the door and down to where her car was parked. It was his turn to roll his eyes when he saw her means of transportation. "Oh, we are so going to take my car."

She scowled. "What's wrong with my car?"

"It's a piece of crap! And it's too small."

"Hey, that's my piece of crap that you're making fun of and it's not too small."

"If you want me to go with you to wherever you have planned, we are taking my car," Mark stood his ground. "I refuse to be seen inside that piece of crap."

"Just so you know, I don't appreciate you calling my car a piece of crap," she told him as she rolled her eyes and unlocked her car. She removed a small red cooler, to which he assumed held food and drinks for their trip. She locked her car once again and looked at him expectantly. "It just so happens that I don't feel like spending another fifteen minutes arguing with you about my car, so let's just go already."

He led her to where his sleek shiny black jeep was parked and unlocked it. As soon as they were sitting inside with their seatbelt and on the road driving, he asked the question that had been plaguing his mind ever since she had barged into his hotel room that morning. "So, where are we going?"

"We are going horseback riding!" Izzie grinned.

He gave a start and look at her through his sunglasses. "You're joking, right?"

"Nope!"

"I've never been horseback riding before!"

"Me either, though I've always wanted to try it. That's why it'll be fun! We can experience it together."

Mark shook his head, his attention focused once more on the road. "Well, this is going to be an interesting day."

--

Mark rolled his eyes. "Stevens, would you just get on the horse already?"

"They're bigger than I thought they would be," Izzie laughed nervously as she stared at the horse in front of her, looking a little frightened. The pure black mare stood tall and proud, snorting as if it was laughing at her reaction.

Mark was already saddled and was sitting on a chestnut Calabrese horse, smirking at her. "Stop being such a chicken and let's go."

"Give me a minute!"

"Stevens, this whole trip was your idea. We don't have all day. Just climb on!"

"Okay okay," she took a deep breath and slowly pulled herself onto her horse. She relaxed as soon as she sat down and the horse let out another snort. "Oh," she said. "That wasn't so bad."

"And it only took fifteen minutes!"

Izzie stuck out her tongue at him. "Shut up."

"You folks all ready now?" Steve, their tour guide came trotting up the path with his own horse, amusement clearly evident on his face. "The tour is about to start."

"Yeah, we're ready," Mark replied. He looked over at Izzie. "Are you doing okay there, Stevens?"

She nodded and grinned at him. "Minor freakout completely over."

"Good," he smiled back as their tour group began.

They had driven for two hours outside the city limits to a nearby tourist attraction. The small farm had many horses and there was a group of about ten people riding altogether. Izzie and Mark had spent the entire car ride playing twenty questions and getting to know one another better. She had learned a few interesting things about Mark Sloan and she was slowly seeing another side to the flirtatious doctor. His middle name was Bryan and when he was younger, his childhood dream had been to become a firefighter. She learned that he preferred jam over marmalade and that he loved to eat Chinese food.

There was a softer side to Mark, Izzie thought as they trotted along the path side by side. She glanced sideways at him out of the corner of her eye. The tall man was sitting proudly on his horse and he looked like he was having a lot of fun. He had been all grumpy and complaining almost the entire morning, but she knew that he didn't mean it. He wouldn't have come with her if he had been really against the idea. The minute they had reached their destination, his entire attitude had changed and he was completely willing to move forward with their plans for the day. She grinned to herself as a theory formed in her head. Mark Sloan was really just a big soft teddy better underneath all that confident exterior.

Mark glanced over at her and Izzie smiled at him as their gazes connected. It seemed her life really was turning around and she only hoped that it continued to go well. She missed her friends but she was reminded over and over that while she was learning to be alone, she wasn't really _alone_. At least, not anymore. Mark and Jasper had seen to that. Izzie shifted her gaze forward, feeling extremely content with the world.

--

In case anyone was wondering, the reference that Izzie made in regards to _Casanova_ was a Venetian adventurer and an author in the 18th century. He was a known womanizer. Also, I know next to nothing about horses and my only knowledge of horseback riding was my one time experience close to a year ago. And, I don't really know if it's even possible to go horseback riding in Seattle, but that's the fun of fanfiction, right?

Feedback is greatly appreciated! It's what keeps me going!


	9. Chapter 9

I didn't really use any scenes from 'What I Am' but I figure that I better credit the episode anyway, just in case! The idea of Denny Duquette Sr. and all of Grey's Anatomy belongs to ABC and Shonda Rhimes and I'm just using it for entertainment purposes only.

Note: This hasn't been beta'd. If anyone notices any mistakes, let me know!

--

He walked through the hallways of the hospital looking for the one person that, within the last couple of weeks, had quickly turned into a good friend and whom he looked forward to seeing every day. His body ached as he walked, reminding him of his activities from the day before. Every muscle from waist down was sore and Mark couldn't even remember the last time he had been in so much pain. Still, horseback riding had been a new experience and one that he was surprised to learn that he enjoyed it very much. He had never done something new before just for the sake of doing it.

He had to hand it to Stevens, she knew how to have fun.

After they had gone horseback riding and were back in the city, they had gone out for dinner and that had also been a new experience for him. He was a man of means, used to expensive dinners and fancy clothes and when he had tried to take her to a fancy restaurant, she had put her foot down and insisted that they go to a small diner on 4th Avenue that served pasta. He was quickly learning that Izzie Stevens was not a woman that was very high maintenance but rather a woman that liked to live simply. She was adventurous and wasn't afraid to try new things at least once. She was different from any other woman he had ever known and he liked spending time with her.

Mark felt a smile come to his face as the sight of a familiar blonde came into view. Izzie was at the nurses station, leaning against the counter bent over a stack of files, absorbed in her work. As he came closer, he saw her brush her bangs behind her left ear but the action was futile since her bangs fell forward again anyway. Her long blonde hair was left loose today, a change from it's usual up do. He walked up to her and placed one of the two coffees that he'd been holding down in front of her, causing the blonde intern to look up at him.

"Good morning, Stevens," he greeted.

Her fingers reached out and grasped the coffee cup. "Oh, thank god! Coffee…" she brought the cup to her lips and took a deep drink. "Thanks. You have no idea how much I needed this."

He raised an eyebrow. "Rough morning?"

Izzie let out a sigh. "You have no idea. Jasper woke up me at the _freaking_ crack of dawn because he was hungry and after I fed him, he refused to let me go back to sleep. He kept barking over and over…" she paused and let out a groan. "And does your ass hurt from yesterday? Because I'm telling you… I don't think I've ever been so sore. It literally hurts just sitting down!"

"Yes, I'm sore all over," Mark chuckled. "I don't suppose you'll offer to give me a butt massage, would you?"

"Are you kidding?"

"I'll give you one too. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours?"

She snorted. "I'm in pain, I'm not delusional."

"Can't say I didn't try," he shrugged.

Izzie let out a laugh, shrugging off his comments in her usual manner. "Got any cool surgeries today?"

"Just an otoplasty at ten-thirty," Mark replied. "Want to scrub in?"

Letting out a sigh, the blonde intern shook her head. "I would, but I can't. Bailey assigned me to Burke today and guess who else got assigned with me? Alex." She groaned again. "This day is gonna suck. I would much rather scrub in on your surgery."

Disappointment flooded him. "That's too bad. I guess I'll see you at lunch then?"

Izzie grinned, gathering her files together into a neat pile. "I'll see you at lunch," she nodded before walking away, leaving him to stare after her with his own grinning expression on his face.

--

A few hours passed and nine-thirty rolled around when Izzie's life changed yet again in a small but significant matter. She had gone into the locker room and was rooting through her bag for a hair tie when she noticed that her cell phone had a blinking red light, indicating that she had a message. Out of curiosity, Izzie dialed the extension number to her voice mail and was stunned when she heard what the message entailed.

"_This is a message for Dr. Isobel Stevens. I'm Denny Duquette Sr, I believe you know my son. When you have a moment, I'd like for you to call me back."_

Instantly she had gone hot and cold all over. Memories of the last time she had seen Denny had flashed in her mind and she had spent twenty minutes afterwards in one of the on-call rooms crying. She should've been expecting something like this to happen. Take one step forward, move two steps back… and of course, it happened just when her life was starting to turn around too…

For the rest of the morning, Izzie walked around in a daze, her thoughts on the mysterious phone call from Denny's father. She had called the man back and they had made plans to meet at the Emerald City Bar after she got off work that night. Her thoughts were of nothing else and she found that she could barely concentrate on her work. That was why she was so surprised when Alex suddenly appeared in front her, leaning against the counter and looking down at her from where she sat behind the nurse's station.

She looked up at him with a start, her thoughts momentarily forgotten. "Hi."

In a true Alex Karev fashion, he responded in a way that totally and complete caught her off guard. "You're not living with us anymore, are you?"

She stared at him. "What?"

"You moved out, didn't you?" he asked bluntly. "I walked into your room this morning and it was bare. There was a note on the bed that said 'I'm sorry' and that was it." Alex gave her a pointed look. "Why didn't you at least let us know that you were moving out?"

"When could I have told you?" Izzie asked defensively, feeling anger well up inside of her. "When you guys were busy ignoring me? I tried _so many times _to talk to you guys but each time you all would walk away from me. Eventually I just gave up because I didn't want to be around all that negative energy anymore. Do you even know what it's like to have your friends turn on you without even letting you explain?"

Alex stared at her, his expression softening. "I'm sorry, Iz."

Feeling like there were too many things happening at once, Izzie briefly shut her eyes and shook her head. "Its fine, Alex. Don't worry about it."

Alex frowned as it occurred to him that Izzie was not being herself. "What's wrong?"

Both their pagers began beeping at that moment and the blonde doctor was relieved for the interruption. She stood up from the desk. "Nothing. I'm fine. We need to go, Burke needs us on his coronary artery bypass surgery."

She avoided his gaze as she walked away.

--

For the past half hour, Mark had been watching Izzie pick at her food while she stared into space. He had noticed her distracted behavior the moment she had arrived at the observatory and had sat down. At first, he wanted to be respectful and leave her to privacy but minding his own business had never been one of his strong traits, especially when it came to a friend. He finally decided to say something. "What's wrong?"

He could tell that he had startled her because she jumped at his words. "Huh?"

"What's wrong with you?"

Izzie let out a sigh and shook her head. "It's just been a really long day and I wish that it was over already."

"That bad?"

"You really don't wanna know."

He raised an eyebrow at that statement. "Maybe I do."

"It's kind of a long story," Izzie sighed once more.

"So, sum it up."

She stared at him and he held her gaze, nodding at her to tell him her troubles. After a moment, the blonde nodded. "Okay, well it all started when I checked my voice mail this morning. There was a message from Denny's father, asking to meet with me."

Mark felt surprise fill him. "Are you going to go?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "We're meeting at Joe's tonight. He wants to talk to me. I really don't know how it's going to go."

"Maybe this is a good thing," he suggested. "This might help you move on."

Izzie shrugged. "Anyway, after this emotionally draining moment, Alex comes up to confront me about me moving out of Meredith's place. He actually demanded to know why I didn't tell them that I was moving out. Can you believe that? They don't talk to me for weeks and the moment they find my room empty, they ask me why I _didn't_ tell them?"

"Karev is an idiot," he remarked.

"It's a double standard, is what it is. Ugh. _Anyway,_ on top of all that, Burke's patient died in the operating room today and my ass still hurts from horseback riding," the blonde pouted. "This day really sucks."

Mark reached over and patted her shoulder. "Things will get better."

Izzie leaned against the wall and buried her face into her knees, her arms wrapped around her legs. "I just wish this day was over already," she repeated.

Not knowing what to say, Mark simply leaned over and gave her a one-armed squeeze, hoping that this action would convey that he was there for her and that she wasn't alone. He had no idea what to do in a situation like this and thought it would be better if he kept quiet. He hoped that she knew he was there on her side and that he would support her.

It was all he had to offer.

--

The day had been a long and tired one and Mark Sloan was more than ready for bed. After his conversation with Stevens –_ Izzie_, he reminded himself – he had done his best to go about his day normally. He had successfully completed another surgery, talked with his patients and scheduled more surgeries. He spent a couple of hours catching up on paperwork and finally called it a night when he noticed that it was nearing eight in the evening. It had been a little hard to concentrate since his thoughts had been occupied with the blonde intern and her current situation.

Was it strange that he was so concerned for Izzie? No, he didn't think so. Within the last few weeks, she had been the only one that had been nice to him and she cared, and that in turn, made him care about her. They were like two peas in a pod, each of them were going through unique situations but it seemed that they understood one another. He wondered if he should call and check up on her, see how she was doing. He knew that she was currently meeting with Denny Duquette Sr. and without a doubt, he knew with certainty that it would be emotionally draining for her.

Thoughts of Izzie's situation weren't the only thing that was on his mind that night. Mark laid flat on his back on his bed with both arms underneath his head, thinking about what had happened after his lunch with Stevens. It was a little strange to see how far he had come within the last couple of weeks.

He and Addison had had an awkward run in on the elevator that afternoon. Seattle Grace Hospital was one of the biggest hospitals in the country and yet, he still managed to run into Addison every now and then. Seeing the redheaded doctor had made his heart ache, but this time he had noticed that it didn't hurt as much as it used too and this puzzled him. It made him wonder just what was happening to him. It was strange to see Addison looking so happy though, strange but in a good way because if anyone deserved to be happy, it was her. Karev was better at not screwing up than he thought. The younger man must've done something right. There was a light in the redheaded doctor's eyes that he hadn't seen since they had been in college. He noticed that Addison now walked with lighter steps, as if any burden she'd had was now gone. She really was better off without him in her life.

Mark was glad that he had made the decision to let her go, even if the decision had hurt him the most.

Knocking came from his door, interrupting his thoughts. He frowned and then glanced over at the digital clock on his night stand. 1:04 am. He had been lying in bed for hours without realizing the time flying by. Who was knocking on his door so late? Sitting up, he pushed back the covers and swung his legs over the side of his bed and pushed himself up. He headed out towards the front door, pulling it open to see who his late night visitor was.

The sight of Izzie's tearstained face greeted him and he immediately felt concern wash over him. She was dressed in flannel pajamas, with her hair tied up in a messy bun and she was cradling Jasper to her chest like a lifeline. He pulled the door open wider and stepped aside so that she could come in and she did so without a second thought.

"Hi," she croaked. "I'm sorry, I know it's late but I didn't want to be alone and I didn't have anywhere else to go… I mean, not that I wanted to go anywhere else because this was the first place I thought of and… and…"

"Izzie," he said softly as he shut the door, "are you alright?"

"No!" she sobbed; fresh tears were spilling from her eyes as she bent over and placed Jasper onto the ground. The puppy immediately whimpered, as if knowing that his owner was under a lot of stress and stayed by her feet. She straightened, waving her arm around and for the first time, he noticed the envelope that was clutched in her hand. "Denny's father gave me this! Denny left this in _my_ name! What am I supposed to do with it? I haven't done anything to deserve it…"

He took the envelope from her and guided her to his couch in the living room, Jasper following at their heels. Sitting down next to her, he pulled out what appeared to be a check. His eyes widened. _"8.7 million dollars?" _

"I know!" Izzie burst out, the tears were sliding even faster down her cheeks. "I don't know what to do with it." She buried her face in her hands. "Why… why did he leave me this? I don't want it…"

Instinctively, Mark pulled her into his arms and she laid her head against his shoulder. He felt awkward as he slowly ran his hand up and down her arm in what he hoped was a soothing way. After a few minutes, he felt Izzie pull away, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"Thanks," she said, giving him a smile.

He nodded at her. "It was no problem." He handed the check back to her. "What are you going to do with all this money?"

She shrugged. "Something good? I haven't really thought about it. I've just been crying all night and then I realized I didn't want to be by myself in my apartment. Jasper is great for company but he can't exactly give me a conversation, you know?"

"I don't think I would be much help either," he told her.

"Just you letting me vent is enough," Izzie replied. "Knowing that I have a friend that I can count on is enough." They sat in silence for a few minutes before she spoke up again. "Sorry for waking you up in the middle of the night."

"Its fine," he shrugged it off. "I wasn't sleeping."

Jasper chose that moment to jump up onto his couch and crawled into Izzie's lap. The blonde gave a small giggle and cuddled the puppy close to her, burying her nose into his fur. Mark watched all of this and felt a smile come to his face. Izzie seemed a lot calmer now, no longer crying though there were still tears in her eyes. They sat in silence and he watched as her absentmindedly stroke Jasper's fur.

"I can't spend this money," she spoke up suddenly.

He looked at her and raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

"Denny loved me," she smiled sadly. "He wanted me to have this money, I get that. He wanted me to be happy." She looked up at him. "I loved Denny with all of my heart and it sucks that he can't be with me, but I have to live my life. I need to do good with this money and until I know what good I can do, I can't spend this money."

"You should invest it," he suggested. "Save it until you know what to do with it."

She looked at him with tear filled expression. "Will you come to the bank with me? I don't think I can go by myself."

Mark nodded and smiled. "First thing in the morning."

"Okay," she agreed. Then she sighed and began to stand up. "I better go home. Thanks for letting me come over and freak out on you."

"Do you want to stay the night?" The suggestion slipped from his mouth before he had time to process it. As soon as the words were slipped out though, he knew that he didn't want her to leave. "You shouldn't drive home in your emotional state."

She looked thoughtful. "Okay."

Mark looked at her and smirked. "Just so you know, we're sharing my bed." At the look on her face, he chuckled. "There's plenty of room for the both of us and besides, it's not like we haven't shared a bed before." He gave her a look, referring to the time he had spent the night at her apartment.

Izzie didn't argue as she followed him into his bedroom. She wrinkled her nose as a sudden thought occurred to her. "Ugh. Exactly how many women had been brought here?"

"Don't worry," he told her as he pulled back the covers on his bed. "I change the sheets every time."

She rolled her eyes. "If you say so," her demeanor softened and she smiled at him as she climbed in beside him. She reached over and grabbed his arm, catching his attention. "Thank you."

Mark felt his heart beat a little faster at the sight of her smile, though he didn't know why. "You're welcome."

Jasper chose that moment to make his way into his room, his collar jingling with noise from the tags that were attached. The white West Highland Terrier puppy jumped onto his bed, causing both doctors to look down at him. He barked playfully and wagged his tail, before letting out a yawn and settling on the sheets between them.

Izzie looked at Mark. "I'm sorry. Do you want him off the bed? He usually sleeps on my bed at home but - "

"Its fine," he interrupted her. "I like Jasper, he's very well behaved for a puppy."

"Thanks," she grinned, lying down on one of his pillows.

Mark laid down as well and silence fell as the two got comfortable. Jasper was between them, sounds of soft happy whimpers coming from him as he slept. He glanced briefly at his clock. 2:16 am. Life was a funny thing, he mused as he turned on his side, placing a hand under his pillow. He would've never imagined that Izzie would come to his room in the middle of the night, looking for comfort. In fact, he could remember if anyone had ever come to his hotel room for anything other than sex.

Stevens was an enigma that he had yet to figure out and as Mark fell asleep, he thought that he wouldn't have it any other way.

--

You know what to do ;)


	10. Chapter 10

The idea of Bailey trying to start a free clinic came from the episode 'Great Expectations' in season three. I've always hated how Bailey was treated by the attendings when she was trying to start up the clinic, so I decided to change that a little here :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.

**Reminder:** I know that some of the events in my fic took place at different times on the show, but in my fanfic, it happens the way I want it too. That's what fanfiction is for, right?

Thanks for everyone's awesome reviews, they've made me so happy! Please keep them coming!

--

"Tell me again why we're doing this," Izzie asked as she missed yet another perfect aim at the ball coming towards her.

"Because you needed a distraction and I needed a new partner," Mark told her, bending over to pick up the ball and getting ready to serve again. "Derek isn't exactly in a squash playing mood these days."

She rolled her eyes. "I wonder why."

A few days had passed since Izzie had shown up at his hotel with her eight million dollar check. He had gone with her to the bank the morning after and watched as she deposited the check and was there for her as she broke down in tears. The poor male clerk hadn't known what to do when his client had started crying and Mark had to take over in comforting her. Since then, Izzie had walked around in a daze. After watching her mope around the hospital for a few days, Mark had finally gotten tired of her attitude and decided that she needed to learn a new activity to keep her mind off things.

He knew that she'd had the day off and so he had gone to her apartment that morning (and was greeted by an excited Jasper) and had dragged her out of bed and took her to the squash courts after they'd had breakfast. Mark was proud to say that his method of distraction was doing wonders for Izzie's sullen mood. At least she wasn't agonizing over what to do with Denny's money anymore.

Having never played squash in her life, it was not a surprise that Izzie wasn't too good at the sport. The blonde squealed when she saw the ball coming towards her and she ducked. "You really are the worst squash player I've ever seen," Mark informed her as he watched Izzie with amusement.

She scowled. "Not everyone is as skilled as you."

"So true," he nodded.

He handed the ball to her and she tried to serve the ball and let out a frustrated yell when she missed once again. "Damn it!" she cried. "Why can't I get this?!"

"Let's take a break," he suggested. He headed over to where his water bottle was located in the corner and sat down leaning against the wall. Seconds later, Izzie sat down next to him with her own water bottle in hand, placing her squash racket off to the side. She sighed, taking a drink of water.

"I'm sorry I can't play better."

Mark smirked. "Don't worry about it. You aren't a lost cause, you just need to practice and you know, stop screaming like a girl whenever the ball comes towards you."

"Shut up!" She smacked him. "For your information, I am a girl. And I do not scream."

"My eardrums suggest otherwise," he shook his head. "Still, you do justice to those shorts." He winked, admiring her long legs.

She smacked him again. "Stop flirting with me!"

"You secretly like it when I flirt with you," he grinned and leaned his face closer to her.

"Stop giving me your McSteamy look!" She accused, feeling her heart flip over in her chest at his grin and a blush creeping up her cheeks.

He couldn't help but laugh at her. He shook his head and then stood up. "Come on."

Izzie looked up at him. "What?"

Mark held out his hand. "I am going to teach you how to play squash properly so that someday I can actually play a match with a partner."

She took his hand and pulled herself to her feet. "Fine," she rolled her eyes. "Let's get this torture over with." But then she grinned, letting him know that she wasn't really annoyed and that she was enjoying hanging out with him.

--

Mark was sitting in his office working on his patient files when a knock came from his door. He looked up and was surprised when he saw Miranda Bailey standing in the doorway with a bunch of files in her arms. "Dr. Bailey," his attention directed towards the short woman. He folded his arms. "What I can I do for you?"

"I'd like to talk to you about a project that I want to start up and I need the support of all the attendings and the chief before the department heads can even consider it," Bailey walked into his office and got straight to the point. She placed the files down onto his desk. "I want to open a free clinic."

Mark was surprised. "A free clinic?"

Bailey nodded. "A free clinic."

He leaned back into his chair. "That's a huge undertaking, especially for a resident."

"I know," she gestured towards her files. "But I've done all the research and I can do this, and I would like your support while I do this. If we have a free clinic, illnesses could be caught early meaning fewer unnecessary surgeries, which also means fewer deaths."

He cleared his throat. "I see."

"And the commitment I'm asking for is only a few hours a week," Bailey added. "So, it shouldn't take to much time out of your schedule."

Mark listened as Bailey listed all the reasons as to why he should sign onto her project and made a split second decision. "Okay."

The short doctor gave him a surprised glance. "Really?"

He sat up straight from his chair. "Yes," he nodded. "I think having a free clinic is a great idea and if there's anyone that can do it, it's you. I'll write you a letter of support and will give it to you at the end of the day."

"Thank you, Dr. Sloan," Miranda smiled, feeling touched. Her softer side was coming out now that someone was finally supporting her. "You're the first attending I've asked that has said yes."

Mark frowned. "The others said no? But why? A free clinic at Seattle Grace would do wonders for the hospital's reputation, not to mention that it would help a lot of people but that goes without saying."

Bailey shrugged and began gathering up her files. "Everyone else is too involved in their own drama to really listen to me."

"What are you going to do about funding?" he asked.

"I'm taking things one step at a time," Bailey replied, turning to leave. "I haven't gotten that far yet. I've got to get everyone else's support first."

"Let me know if you need anything else," he told her. "I'll come find you at the end of the day."

"Thanks Dr. Sloan," Bailey smiled at him and then left, leaving Mark to get back to what he was doing.

--

"So, is it true that you got eight million dollars?"

Izzie looked up from her lunch and found Alex and Cristina standing in front of her. Mark had been pulled into a last minute emergency surgery and as a result, wasn't able to eat lunch with her that afternoon. Because he wasn't going to be there, Izzie felt that it would be wrong to eat at the observatory without him so for today, she opted to eat lunch in the cafeteria.

As she had done all week long, she thought about what to do with the money that Denny had left her. She agonized over everything… should she donate the money to the hospital? To charities all over the world? Everything she thought of… she knew that it would have to be dedicated to Denny in some way… in a way that would let the world know about the incredible man she had fallen in love with. She needed to insure that Denny had a legacy. He deserved that much.

Alex and Cristina sat down with their trays and looked over at her. "So, is it true?" Cristina repeated her question as she opened the lid of her fruit salad.

Izzie frowned. "How did you know about that?"

"We overheard a couple of the nurses talking," Alex told her as he took a bite of his pasta.

Wonderful. She was once again the subject of gossip around the hospital. Just what she needed. How did the nurses find out? "Great," she muttered. "I don't want to talk about it." She ate a forkful of her own lunch.

"Hey, can I have a cookie?" Alex asked.

She passed him the bag of cookies that she had baked that morning. "They're all yours."

"I've missed your food," he told her as he took a cookie from the plastic bag. "It's just not the same without you at the house."

"Yeah, about that," Cristina chimed in. "What's up with you moving out? Even I was surprised to hear that."

"Why would I want to live in a place where people ignored me?" Izzie asked. "In my defense, I _tried_ to talk to you guys. Cristina was the only one that wasn't mad at me."

Cristina snorted. "That's because you did Bambi. It's not exactly news worthy to me."

"It was a drunken mistake, okay?" Izzie's voice became exasperated. "I was drunk and I was lonely. It takes two people in a situation like this, so I'm not the only one to blame."

"Cut the melodramatics already, would you?" Cristina rolled her eyes. "I was just making a statement. No need to go all defensive. I don't think even Meredith knows you moved out yet."

Izzie looked at Alex. "She still doesn't know?"

"Meredith is caught up in her own dark and twisty drama," Cristina revealed. "She and McDreamy are having problems. It's been this way since her accident where she almost drowned. Shepard thinks that she didn't try to fight for her life or whatever."

Izzie fell silent, unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry I was such an ass, Iz," Alex muttered as he finished the last of her cookie. "I kinda took you sleeping with O'Malley personally."

"It's fine, let's just forget about it," Izzie smiled. "I'm just glad you're talking to me again."

Cristina rolled her eyes once more. "If it makes you feel any better, Evil Spawn's been an ass to O'Malley as well."

"Hey," Alex spoke up, effectively trying to change the subject and both women turned to look at him. "Did you guys hear? Apparently, O'Malley and Torres are trying to have a baby."

Izzie nodded. "Yeah, I knew that. Callie rubbed it in my face not to long ago."

"_Seriously?_" Cristina's voice held mild disgust.

"Yeah, overheard a couple of other nurses talking about that too," he nodded.

"So they're trying to procreate," Cristina shrugged. "Who cares? What's your point?"

"Just telling you what I overheard, Yang," Alex shrugged. "Don't get your panties in a knot."

Izzie sighed. "Everything's sure changed around here. It's like one minute you know a person and the next, well they're different. Its like the old person that you knew is dead and gone."

"Speaking of gone," Cristina swallowed. "Where have you been the last couple of weeks? This is the first time I've seen you eating in the cafeteria in a long time. I've tried to find you a couple of times but it's like you disappear off the face of the earth around lunch time."

Izzie felt her heart stop and an image of laughing with Mark flashed in her mind. She had come to know Mark Sloan in all the time that she had spent away from her friends and found that she liked the softer side of him that other people rarely got to see. She appreciated the fact that the plastics surgeon was there in her time of need and that he supported her. She didn't want to tell her friends about their secret lunch meetings in the observatory because it was private and special to her. "I've been alone a lot and so I got used to hiding in the laundry room at lunch times," Izzie lied, avoiding Cristina's gaze and took another bite of her lunch. "So, how are the wedding plans going?"

"Ugh," the Korean doctor shook her head. "Burke is driving me insane. He wants a big wedding, I want city hall."

"In other words, it's a clash of opinions," Alex added, looking amused.

Cristina glared at him. "Did I ask for your input, evil spawn?"

Izzie laughed, feeling relieved that she had managed to avoid their questioning as her friends began arguing. She was glad that she was finally reconnecting with them again – she had missed their bantering. It had been far too long.

--

It was late at night and Izzie was sitting in one of the conference rooms at the hospital, studying for her upcoming intern exam that was to take place in a few months. She figured that in order to distract herself from her eight million dollar check, she might as well begin studying for one of the most important tests of her life, making sure that she didn't bring any more chaos to her surgical career.

"Stevens?"

Izzie jumped and immediately turned around, but calmed down when she saw who it was standing in the doorway. She placed the textbook that was sitting on her lap onto the desk and smiled at her resident. "Hi, Dr. Bailey."

Bailey walked into the conference room and stood next to where she sat, frowning down at her. "Why aren't you at home, Stevens? It's late."

"Oh, I'm on call tonight," Izzie nodded towards her books. "I'm studying for my intern test in a couple of months."

"Getting an early head start? I'm impressed," Bailey smiled.

Before she could respond, a voice interrupted their conversation. "Dr. Bailey! There you are!" Mark Sloan suddenly appeared at the doorway, carrying a dark blue file in his hands. "I was just about to page you, I wasn't sure if you'd left the hospital yet," he stopped short as he noticed Izzie sitting in the chair beside where Bailey was standing. "Stevens," he grinned.

Izzie grinned back. "Hi, Dr. Sloan."

Mark handed the file to the resident as he walked into the room. "One glowing letter of support for your clinic," he nodded and then looked at Izzie and the pile of books around her. "Intern test?" he asked, knowingly.

"Yeah," the blonde replied and then looked up at Bailey who had a large grin on her face. "Clinic?"

"I'm trying to get a free clinic for Seattle Grace Hospital," Bailey answered, smiling at Sloan. The plastics surgeon had been the only attending that day that had actually listened to her ideas and offered her his support and that, unknowingly to him, had endeared him to her. "The Seattle Grace Free Clinic _will_ exist. I just need to get a few more signatures and then I'm going to figure out a plan to get funding."

"Any ideas on how you're going to get funding?" Sloan asked.

The resident shrugged. "Not yet, but it will come to me."

Mark nodded and then turned to look at Izzie. He became concerned when he noticed the blonde just staring at her resident like her dream had just come true. "You alright there, Izzie?"

Bailey turned to look at her intern and was startled to see the extremely serious expression on her face. "Stevens?"

"The Denny Duquette Memorial Clinc," she said softly.

Bailey looked confused. "What?"

Izzie looked briefly at Mark and then back at her resident. "I don't know if you've heard the rumors going around the hospital but Denny left me an inheritance," she paused as she watched the expression on Bailey's face as what she was trying to say started to sink in. "I have eight million dollars."

Mark was in awe. As soon as Izzie had uttered the name for the new clinic, he knew exactly what she was going to do with the money she had received. He knew that Izzie was kind and caring, but to see her being this selfless – it blew his mind. A warm feeling spread through him as he waited for Bailey's reaction.

And it looked as though she had also stunned her resident. Miranda Bailey was rarely at a loss for words but it looked as though Izzie had done what seemed to be the impossible. She had shocked Bailey to the point where the resident was in tears. "Izzie Stevens…" Miranda was too stunned to say any more than that, her tone implying it all.

Izzie grinned over Bailey's shoulder at Mark as the resident leaned in to give her a hug. She let out a happy laugh as she pulled back from the embrace. The money was going to help a lot of people and it was going to do a lot of good and Izzie knew deep in her heart that Denny would be proud of her.

--

Please review! It totally makes my day ;)


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy. If I did, Mark and Izzie would at the very least, be flirting with each other on screen. :)

Thanks for the super awesome reviews, guys! It's awesome to see that everyone is responding so positively to the story, totally makes my day!

Some of the events in this story take place at different times on the show. I've manipulated parts that I like and work them accordingly to my story. Parts of this chapter came from the episode _Wishin' and Hopin' _– I loved how Izzie reacted at the beginning of this episode, so I decided to include that scene into this chapter (of course, with a few slight changes!). Enjoy!

--

Izzie stood next to Bailey with an excited expression on her face, her smile bright and wide. She could barely contain her excitement. "Eight days… eight million dollars…"

"And we're open for business," Bailey finished her sentence, looking equally as excited.

It had been a lot of work, but they had actually pulled it off. Izzie held her breath as they walked up to the doors and pulled the door open. Her smile became wider as they stepped inside and she saw how the place looked for the first time, with all the supplies lining the walls and the beds made. It all looked amazing and she couldn't stop herself from bouncing up and down with excitement.

The doors opened again and this time it was Alex, Cristina and Nurse Olivia that had stepped through. Her fellow interns looked around, while Olivia headed straight to where the files were kept, seeing as the Nurse knew where everything was.

"Welcome to the Denny Duquette Memorial Clinic!" Bailey announced, walking over to where her fellow interns stood. "Barring any surgical emergencies, you will be working here today."

Cristina looked around once more, staring at the empty beds with disdain. "Working on what?"

Bailey glared. "Right now," annoyance crept into her voice. "Olivia will be familiarizing you with the protocol for the flu vaccine." Bailey turned and went to where the counter was and began filling out her paperwork.

Izzie noticed that Alex was starting to fiddle around with the supplies on the stand. "Oh… no, no, no," she pointed at him, catching his attention. "Don't touch that," she gave a wide-eyed glance at Cristina. "That was seventy-nine dollars." The blonde intern went over to where Bailey stood.

Cristina rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, I have got to get out of here. Burke has a bloodless pulmonary valve translocation flying in from Denver tomorrow. I should be preparing for that!"

"You don't get to scrub in on the valve translocation," Alex remarked.

"How do you know?"

"Because I am," he smirked.

Cristina looked outraged. "He picked _you_?"

As her friends stood by and argued, Izzie stood next to Bailey and drummed her fingers anxiously against the counter. "Where is everybody?"

"Uh… Grey will be late, O'Malley should be.."

"No, no, no," Izzie interrupted her mentor. "I mean the patients! The underserved, uninsured population that we're supposed to be helping! Where are they?"

"The underserved, uninsured will come, you'll see," Bailey went back to her paperwork. "Just watch the door, they will come through it."

"I can't wait for the first patient. It's going to be amazing," Izzie continued to drum her fingers against the counter and began bouncing up and down again, causing her resident to look back up at her. "It's going to be amazing what Denny's money can do, right?"

Bailey reached over to stop the blonde intern from drumming her hands. The sounds were starting to drive her crazy. "Just watch the doors, Stevens."

Deciding to take Bailey's advice, Izzie did her best to keep still and stared at the doors.

--

Mark whistled as he walked along the hallways of the hospital that morning, his good mood evident for everyone to see. At the moment, his life seemed brighter than it had in a long while and he was doing everything in his power to enjoy it while it lasted. The past eight days had been busy for him, having spent every waking moment with his surgeries and helping Bailey to open the clinic in his spare time.

The events of the past eight days seemed to blur right by and yet, he couldn't forget what had happened on each of those days because it was the first time in a long while that he could remember having so much fun. He had a feeling that the reason he'd had so much fun was because Izzie Stevens had been there every single day and like always, he found her company extremely enjoyable.

Plans of construction for the clinic had started very quickly once Bailey had received all the signatures that she had needed from the other attendings. The day after Izzie had informed her resident that she would be funding the clinic, contractors were spoken too and contracts were signed. Bailey had entrusted Izzie to do all the supply shopping for the clinic and he had gone with her to pick out the bed sheets, pillows, medical equipment and everything else that was on the list. It was amazing how fast eight million dollars could be spent in a short amount of time.

For the last eight days, it seemed as if he and Izzie had spent every moment together. She had been assigned to be his intern for most of his surgeries and he had rediscovered the joy of coming to work when one got along well with their coworkers. They were together for their daily lunch hours at the abandoned observatory where they would discuss random conversation topics like what he'd done in surgery or talk about one of her intern friends. And of course, Izzie was there when they had gone to pick out the things Bailey needed, bickering playfully as they made their way down aisles in the department store.

All in all, it had been a very good week for the plastics surgeon.

Mark made his way down the stairs with the intention of going to the coffee cart and then to the newly opened clinic, when he spotted something that caught his attention. The chief was standing at the nurses' station bent over a file, while Burke and Derek crowded him and looked to be arguing and off to the side, stood Addison watching them with interest. He made his way over and stood next to her, watching the scene before him with amusement.

He turned slightly so that his body was facing the redheaded doctor, while still watching Derek and Burke argue. There was no question about it; both doctors had to be arguing about the Chief of Surgery position. "Aren't you going to get in there? If you wanna be chief, you gotta fight with the big boys."

"Well, I intend to fight like a girl," Addison sent a glare at her competition. "I'll let them kill each other and then I'll be the only one left standing."

He felt a grin come to his face. "Good luck with that."

At his words, Addison looked over at him, giving him a puzzled glance. "I thought you wanted to be chief of surgery," she commented.

"I've decided not to care anymore," he shrugged. "The chief is going to pick who he wants to pick, so why bother? There are more important things happening around here."

"Like what?" Addison was curious. The change in Mark was definitely noticeable to her and she wondered what had happened. Other than the random consults, they really hadn't had a chance to talk since the night Mark told her that the pact was off. That had been a little over two months ago.

"Like the clinic," Mark answered. "Bailey worked hard to get it up and running and it officially opens today. You should go over and see it."

Leaving Addison to stare at his back in surprise, Mark moved forward and stopped right next to where the chief stood. He was feeling slightly annoyed that no one was appreciating all the hard work Bailey had put into the clinic over the past week and since he had been there throughout the entire process, he felt protective of the building and wanted everyone to notice it. "I was heading down to the clinic," he interrupted both Burke and Derek. "It's opening today and I thought it might be nice to show Dr. Bailey a little support."

"How very thoughtful of you, Dr. Sloan," the chief looked relieved at his interruption. "I think I'll join you. Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me."

"Certainly," Derek nodded but as soon as the chief walked by him, he rolled his eyes at Mark. "Nicely done."

Mark shrugged as he followed the chief. He no longer cared about the position (though getting the job would be nice) as the head of surgery because now, he had a new reason to stay. After stopping to get coffee, they made their way outside towards the brand new building that, in Mark's opinion, looked mighty impressive.

They walked in and was greeted with an odd sight. A puzzled expression appeared on his face as he looked at Izzie and he tilted his head slightly, trying to figure out what she was doing. The blonde was staring at them… _no_, staring past them, right at the door. "Uh… congratulations Dr. Bailey, on the opening of the new clinic."

"It… is open, isn't it?" Dr. Webber looked around the quiet area that was void of patients but then he noticed the blonde intern's odd behavior. "Is Stevens alright?"

Bailey threw them an amused glance. "She's watching the door, sir."

"Okay then…" The chief shrugged and began to explore the area.

Mark moved from the spot where he was standing and headed over to where Izzie stood and leaned against the counter. He grinned with amusement as Izzie didn't react to his sudden presence next to her (she was still staring at the doors) and after placing the coffee that he had bought for her beside her, he began to stare at the doors with her. After a minute, he felt her shift slightly and his eyes went to her face and he saw that her eyes had widened.

"Someone's coming!" she announced excitedly.

The door opened to reveal Meredith and Derek coming through.

"Damn it!" Izzie cried, stomping her foot with frustration. "Where are all the people that need our help?"

He couldn't help it. Mark laughed at her and then he let out another chuckle as he saw the puzzled looks on both Meredith and Derek's faces. Shaking his head, he handed Izzie the coffee that was still on the counter. "People will come sooner or later, just give it time."

Izzie sighed as she accepted the coffee but smiled softly at him. "I hope you're right."

And as Izzie and Mark smiled at one another, they were oblivious to everyone around them as the others exchange confused glances to one another. It was strange to see Sloan and Stevens acting all chummy with one another since everyone thought they couldn't stand each other.

Very strange indeed.

--

The day had been a hectic one but in true form, Seattle Grace Hospital never lacked chaos. After the opening of the clinic, a patient had come in and as it turned out her blood had been toxic and caused everyone that had operated on her to pass out. He had been extremely concerned when Addison had gone into the OR to apply more anesthesia to the patient and then passed out from the toxins as she made her way out. And then, when Derek and Burke had gone in and had also passed out, for a second Mark had believed that this disease – or whatever it was – would win.

Seeing Derek and Addison lying on the gurney and being wheeled out with oxygen masks over their faces had scared him, but it hadn't scared him as much as seeing Izzie running into the OR to help their patient. Watching the blonde secure the plastic along the patient's side and then running back into the room they were all standing in, putting the oxygen mask on while she struggled to breathe had scared him more than he'd like to admit. While watching her, his mind could only go to a 'worst case scenario' frame of mind. He couldn't help but think that if Izzie had died from this disease, he would _truly_ be alone. It was in that moment, he realized just how much he had come to rely on their friendship and how much he cared about her in such a short amount of time.

Thank goodness Izzie was fine. Compared to Addison and Derek, Izzie had gotten the better end of the deal. She only had to have the oxygen mask on for about an hour before she was completely recovered and was bouncing around again. Mark stood in the pit, making sure that Derek and Addison were fine. They may've hated him at that point in time, but they were still his family and you didn't abandon family in times of need.

Sighing with relief that no one he knew had died that day, Mark entered the hospital lobby suddenly feeling exhausted but his tiredness faded as he spotted a familiar blonde up ahead, exiting the front doors. He quickened his pace and once he reached outside, he called out her name. "Izzie!"

Izzie turned to see who had called her name and her expression brightened as Mark jogged up to her. "Hey!" she greeted.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked.

The blonde nodded. "Oh, I'm fine. Totally fine."

"That's good to hear," Mark smiled.

Izzie took a closer look at him and frowned. She noticed the tired lines on his face, her eyes traveling down his physique and saw the tension that was in his shoulders. "Hey," she took a step closer to him. "Are _you_ okay?"

Mark shrugged. "I'm not the one that was intoxicated with poisons."

She suddenly got the feeling that there was something bothering Mark and had the feeling that he needed a friend right now. She smiled at him. "Hey, want to come over for dinner? I'm sure Jasper would be excited to see you and we could watch a movie afterwards or something."

He thought of his lonely hotel room and the room service that he was going to order. "Dinner sounds great," he smiled. "I'll follow you in my car."

"Actually, I walked here today."

"You walked? Stevens, it's like the middle of the night! Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" Mark looked incredulous of this revelation.

"Calm down," Izzie laughed. "My apartment is like two blocks from the hospital. I've been walking for awhile now. It's Seattle and I know self defense."

Mark shook his head. "Come on," he led her to his car. "I'll drive."

Five minutes later, the two doctors found themselves at Izzie's apartment. The blonde intern unlocked her door and immediately was greeted with Jasper barking excitedly. The west highland terrier headed straight to Mark and began jumping up and down, causing the plastics surgeon to laugh. He bent over and picked up the puppy and held him to his chest as Jasper licked his face.

"Oh nice," Izzie teased as they headed inside her apartment. "I'm his owner and he's more excited to see you."

Mark chuckled. "That's because he likes me best, don't you Jasper?"

Jasper barked and his tail wagged.

Izzie headed into her kitchen and began preparing dinner, while he stayed in the living room and played with Jasper, occasionally looking up and watching the blonde intern cook. Twenty minutes later, they were both sitting at the counter across from one another eating the fettuccini alfredo pasta and baked potatoes that she had prepared. Mark took a bite of the pasta and thought it was the most delicious thing he had ever eaten. The last person who had made him dinner had been Derek's mother but that had been a long time ago. There was a huge difference between Mrs. Shepherd cooking him dinner and Izzie cooking for him. This was more private, more intimate.

Eating with Izzie made him feel like he belonged and that no words were needed.

"So, are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

His thoughts were interrupted by Izzie's question and he looked up from his plate. The blonde was looking at him with a curious expression and she tilted her head, waiting for his answer. "What?"

"Something is clearly bothering you," Izzie stated, setting her fork down. "Need to get something off your chest?"

Mark stayed silent and took another bite of pasta.

"Is it about Addison?" Izzie asked gently. "Derek?" The moment Mark looked back up at her, she knew that she had hit the truth. "Is it about what happened today?"

Mark sighed, placing his fork down as well. "They could've died today."

"It must've been really hard for you, huh?"

"They're my family," he shrugged. "No matter what. They're my family."

"You really miss them, don't you?" Izzie leaned forward. "Have you tried talking to them? Tried making amends?"

"Haven't really made much of an effort, really," he replied. "I'm trying to stay clear of Addison for awhile."

"Well, if you want your friends back, you should at least try," Izzie picked up her fork and began eating again. "They'll come around if you don't give up."

"I take it you're speaking from experience."

"Yep," she nodded. "Alex isn't mad at me anymore. That's one down and two more to go."

Mark fell silent as he thought about her words. He really wished he knew how to go about fixing his friendship with Derek. He shook his head and decided to change the subject. "So, the clinic opened today," he picked up his fork as well. "How are you doing?"

"We had one patient come in the entire day," Izzie sighed, shaking her head. "But you know what? I realized something today. Everything takes time. I mean, it was something that Bailey was telling me all day but things take _time_. I was in such a rush to see all the amazing things that the clinic could do that I forgot to take the time to appreciate just how much having the clinic could change people's lives. Having the clinic is my way of being close to Denny and I know that he would be so proud and happy that this is what I used his money for."

"You miss him a lot, don't you?" he asked.

"Yeah," she smiled. "I do. I loved him so much but he wouldn't want me to wallow in misery. He would want me to move on and find love again and be happy."

Her words caught his attention. "Have you moved on?"

"I think so," she nodded. "A piece of my heart will always belong to Denny but if there's one thing I've learned in my time with him, it's that life is short and I intend to live it to the fullest."

They finished the rest of their dinner in silence and Mark contemplated her words. It was interesting to him to hear her speak about her life with the man she had risked her entire career for. Mark had never seen nor heard of the kind of dedication that Izzie clearly had for Denny Duquette. She was an enigma, a complicated puzzle that he constantly wanted to solve and figure out. He loved the fact that she was so kind and caring, always a constant state of sunshine at the hospital. And even though he probably didn't deserve it, he was glad that Izzie Stevens was his friend.

"You could've died today too."

Izzie looked up from the sink, where she was starting to clean the dishes. "What?"

He avoided her gaze "When you ran into the OR and then came out for that oxygen mask, all I could think about was that you could've died too."

The blonde intern rinsed her hands and then grabbed a hand towel. She made her way over to him as she dried her hands and sat down at the counter right next to him. "Mark…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"You could've died and then I would've been alone again."

Suddenly, she realized the true reason for the burdened look on his face earlier. It hadn't been just Derek and Addison that he had worried about. Izzie felt her heart melt and before she could help herself, she reached over and gave him a hug. Mark was startled at her sudden actions but that didn't stop him from automatically wrapping his arms around her waist to return the embrace. In the background, he could hear Jasper's collar jingling as the puppy ran around their feet. They sat there for a few minutes before Izzie pulled back and grinned at him. "I think you are incredibly sweet for worrying about me," she patted his shoulder. "I'm going to tell you something I think you should know."

Mark smiled. "What's that?"

"You, Mark Sloan, are my person," Izzie announced.

He was caught off guard. "I'm sorry? I don't know what that means."

Izzie laughed. "It means that I tell you secrets and trust that you'll keep them to yourself, it means that I come to you whenever I have a problem and just need someone to talk to, it means that I can call you anytime I want to hangout with you and know that you'll come out – in short, you are my person. I realized it today while I was working in the clinic. I got so excited when our first patient came in, that I wanted you to be the first person I told. You've become my best friend, Mark. I think you should know that."

He saw the truth in her eyes and realized that everything she was saying to him was true. They _had_ been confiding in one another and spending a lot of time together. He hadn't realized it until she had said the words, but Izzie Stevens had become his best friend as well. He grinned and nodded. "It's the same for me. I don't know what I would do without you now."

"Well, let's hope you never have to find out," she grinned. "So, want to help me finish the dishes? We can pop in a movie after."

"Sure," he agreed, already feeling better than when he had left the hospital. It was strange to think just how comfortable he was at confiding in Isobel Stevens when even months ago the idea would've been laughable. But that was life, he supposed. And as he stood next to Izzie at the sink, he decided that he would rather have all the surprises that life had to offer as long as the woman next to him was there to share it with him.

--

You know what to do ;)


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks so much for the awesome reviews! I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened my inbox and saw all those emails! It totally made my day! I'm glad to see that everyone is still enjoying this story and is still supporting it. Thanks!

Grey's Anatomy belongs to the brilliant Shonda Rhimes and ABC.

Parts of this chapter came from the episode 'Don't Stand So Close to Me.' I've decided to try something new with this chapter. Rather than tons of description, this chapter is filled with mostly conversations. Call this an experiment if you will. Please review!

--

"Derek says I snore!"

Meredith barged into the locker room with an irritated expression on her face causing Izzie to look up from where she was tying her shoes. The blonde intern was the only one in the room and had no idea how to respond to her fellow intern as this was the first time Meredith had talked to her in weeks. Izzie kept quiet as Meredith threw her bag onto the ground, flung off her jacket and began pacing around, back and forth, in front of her.

"If my snoring is so bad, how did he deal with it all those nights that we spent together before I found out about his wife? Or even after he divorced his wife?!" Meredith stopped pacing and stared at Izzie.

"Uh," Izzie paused. "He usually sleeps on the couch, sets an alarm and then gets back in bed before you wake up.

All the irritation seemed to fade away as Meredith sat down next to her on the bench. "Oh."

"He didn't want to hurt your feelings," Izzie replied quietly.

Meredith blinked. "Well, how did you stand it?"

"I grew up next to a freeway so it doesn't really bother me."

There was a brief silence and then Meredith spoke up again. "Alex told me you moved out."

"I did," Izzie avoid her gaze.

"I'm sorry, Izzie."

The blonde looked up at Meredith and saw that she really was sorry. She smiled, wanting more than anything to just be friends again. "Me too."

"Will you move back home?"

Izzie paused, already knowing her answer. "I don't think so," she said gently.

"But why? We're not fighting anymore. I'm sorry we were so awful that you felt you had to move out but you should come home now."

"Meredith," Izzie bit her lip, trying to figure out how to explain her thoughts without offending her friend. "I loved living with you and Alex, I really did. But while I was living with you guys, I didn't really take care of myself, you know? Someone always had a problem or I would need to wake up early to make you guys breakfast – something was always going on."

"Izzie…"

She shook her head. "Ever since I moved out, I've been taking really good care of myself. I've been focusing on my career and doing fun things in my spare time, and I think it's been really good for me. I like the person I see when I look in the mirror."

"But you've been alone…"

She grinned. "I haven't been alone actually, don't worry." Izzie stood up from the bench, tying her hair in a bun as she did so. "You better hurry and get changed Mere, you don't want Bailey breathing down your neck. See you later, okay?"

Izzie turned and left the locker room, leaving Meredith to stare at her with a concerned expression.

--

"I think something is wrong with Izzie," Meredith announced as she sat down at the lunch table where Cristina and Alex were sitting.

Both of her fellow interns looked up from their lunches and stared at her. Alex swallowed. "What's wrong with Izzie?"

Meredith opened the lid of her pudding. "She's being distant and secretive."

"What? You're talking to her now?" Cristina asked. "When did this happen?"

"I saw her this morning, in the locker room," Meredith took a sip of her drink. "I asked if she was moving back into the house and she said no."

"So?" Cristina shrugged. "Barbie can take care of herself."

"It's just…" Meredith paused. "After not talking to her for so long… it feels like I don't really know her anymore."

Alex nodded. "I know what you mean. She's Izzie but she's not… Izzie."

"Do you think it has something to do with George?"

"O'Malley? Probably. I don't think they've talked in ages," Alex said.

"Or maybe it has something to do with the clinic and Denny," Meredith looked thoughtful.

"Well, getting eight million dollars from a dead fiancé has got to do some damage," Alex agreed.

"I think you two are blowing it way out of proportion," Cristina shrugged. "If she wants to confide in you guys, then she'll confide in you guys. Until then, let her do what she wants." She rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I think you guys go looking for all the drama. _Seriously_."

--

"Conjoined twins," Izzie exclaimed, excitedly. "Conjoined twins!"

Mark gave her an amused glance. "Yep."

"So, how will you be handling the nerve graft and skin reconstruction?"

"Can we talk about something other than work?" Mark asked. "Like, what are our plans for the weekend?"

"What plans?" Izzie took a bite of her salad. She shifted so that she was leaning against the wall of the observatory. "We had plans?"

"We do now," Mark told her. "For once we have the entire weekend off – barring any medical emergencies. What do you feel like doing?"

Izzie thought for a moment. "Let's go to the zoo!"

Mark snorted. "The zoo? Seriously?"

"Why not?" the blonde shrugged. "I haven't been to the zoo in ages! Not to mention, the weather is supposed to be nice as well. I heard that a baby seal was just born and I wanna see it!"

He chuckled. Only Izzie could make looking at a bunch of animals sound fun. "Alright," he agreed. "The zoo it is, I'll pick you up."

"Okay."

A moment of silence passed before another thought occurred to Mark. "Hey, did you happen to get an invitation to the hospital function coming up?"

"The Seattle Grace Hospital Ball?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, I got an invitation. I've never been to one of these functions before, but I'm assuming it's formal."

"It is," Mark swallowed. "We have to get all dressed up and smooze with the big people in order to get more funding for the hospital."

"Are you going to go?"

"I'm an attending," Mark stated. "My attendance is required. You, however, are an intern so your choice is optional but I'm hoping you'll go so I'll have someone to talk to and keep me company. There will be drinks and dancing and a live band. Plus, free dinner."

"You just want me to go so you'll have someone to sit with," Izzie laughed.

He looked at her. "Is that wrong?"

"Nah," she shrugged. "I'll come. I know Burke is dragging Cristina to go, so we can sit with them."

"I thought Yang and Grey were joined at the hip," Mark commented, finishing off his lunch. "It's only four to a table."

"You're right," Izzie frowned. "Okay, back up plan – if we can't sit with Cristina and Burke, we can sit with Bailey and her husband. I'll find out the seating arrangements."

"Sounds good."

"Out of curiosity, why aren't you going to bring a date? I'm assuming you can bring dates to these things."

Mark had wondered that too. "Honestly, I'm just not in the mood to entertain a woman all night and pretend to be interested," he shrugged.

"Off your game?" she teased.

"I'm never off my game. If I wanted too, I'm sure I can get a date," he glared. "I just don't want too. I don't think I can ever just settle for any woman again."

"Hmm…" the blonde intern looked thoughtful.

"Can we talk about something else?" Mark was uncomfortable at the idea of talking about other women with Izzie, though he had no idea why.

"Sure," she nodded, letting the subject go. "So… how are you going to handle the nerve graft and skin reconstruction?" Izzie repeated her question from earlier.

Mark let out an exaggerated sigh. "Are we back to that? I'm on my lunch break. I don't want to talk about work when I'm on my break."

"I can't help it!" Izzie shook her head. "I've never seen a case like this before but I've read about them. It's rare enough to separate conjoined infants, but to separate conjoined adults? That's something you don't see, like, _ever_. Why aren't you more excited about it?"

"Derek doesn't think it's a good idea to separate them," he told her. "He thinks it's too risky. They could end up paralyzed or dead."

"But, you guys are the best. If anyone can do it, you guys can."

"Try telling Derek that."

"Do you think he's reluctant to do the procedure because it's you that he has to work with?" she asked.

He thought about her question. "I don't know."

"Maybe this is an opportunity that you can use to try and mend things with him," she suggested.

"How?"

"Well," Izzie looked thoughtful. "When the surgery is over, invite him out for a celebratory drink!"

"What if both patients code on the table?"

She threw him a pointed look. "They are not going to code because you and Derek are the best in your fields. If anyone can do it successfully, it's you two."

"Glad to know you have faith in my abilities," he told her.

She smiled. "Why wouldn't I?"

Both their pagers went off. Mark sighed as they stood up and threw out what remained of their lunch. "Time to get back to work."

--

The minute that Derek had announced that the conjoined twins had four functioning legs in the OR, there had been a moment where their gazes had connected and everything that had happened within the last few years had been laid out with a single glance. He was oblivious to all the clapping as he looked at Derek from across the operating table. It had been brief, but everything had been said in that one glance had summed up what he had wanted to say since he had arrived at Seattle.

_I'm sorry._

Derek had given him the slightest nod, indicating that he had understood. _I know._

A tiny flare of hope had lit up within him and for the first time, he felt optimistic that he and Derek would slowly get their relationship back to the way it used to be. There had even been a point where they had made a joke with one another that made it momentarily feel like old times.

"_It'd be nice if every love triangle could be fixed with a scalpel."_

"_If they could, you would've stabbed me with a ten blade a long time ago."_

He relived that moment in his mind, feeling a grin come to his face as he washed his hands in the sink. The doors slid open and he looked over, only to see Derek coming up beside him and begin washing his hands as well. He grabbed a towel and wiped his hands dry as Izzie's words from earlier came back to him. He looked at Derek again, taking of his mask as he did so.

"Want to go out for a drink to celebrate?"

There was silence between the two men and the only sounds were coming from the rushing water in the sink. Derek shut off the tap and then grabbed a towel. He looked at him. "Mark, I know you're sorry," Derek said, staring at him straight in the eyes. "But I'm not ready to forgive you yet." He smiled, taking off his mask as well. "When I am, I'll let you know."

Mark smiled and nodded. "Fair enough," he paused. "I can wait."

"Good." Derek gave him another smile and then left, leaving him alone once again.

The doors slid open once more and this time it was Izzie bursting through, looking extremely excited. "You did it!" she grinned as she headed over to the sink. "You guys were amazing. It was awesome to watch!"

"Thank you," he smiled. "Want to go out and celebrate?"

She gave him a suspicious glance. "I thought you were going to ask Derek."

"I did," he nodded. "But it's going to happen another time."

Her expression softened. "Okay," she agreed. "Let's grab some food, I'm starving."

Mark let out another grin as he followed the blonde out the door and headed towards his office to change. Life was certainly looking up.

--

Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny as the weather forecast had predicted and Izzie was up early, cleaning her apartment so that she wouldn't have to do it when she got back from the day's activities. A timer dinged from the kitchen and she set aside her vacuum, turning it off before grabbing a pair of oven mitts and taking out the freshly baked blueberry scones and banana muffins from the oven and placing them on the counter to cool. Then she placed the peach cobbler that she had prepared into the oven and then set the timer for the dessert.

A knock came at the door and immediately, Jasper came bursting out of the bedroom and began barking excitedly as he reached the front door. Izzie laughed at her puppy's behavior and left the kitchen, pulling open the front door. Mark Sloan stood in the doorway dressed in denim jeans and his usual leather jacket, a pair of sunglasses in his hands. He grinned at her and Izzie was momentarily caught off guard by how handsome he looked. _And that's why we call him McSteamy_, she thought as a blush began creeping up her cheeks.

"Hey," he greeted, snapping Izzie out of her thoughts.

The blonde shook her head slightly and stepped aside to let him in. "Hi."

"Oh, blueberry scones!" Mark immediately headed towards the kitchen and pulled out a plate from one of her cupboards. He had spent enough time at her apartment to know where everything was located by now. Jasper ran in circles excitedly at his feet. "They smell delicious!"

"Careful, they might still be hot," she called as she headed back to where her vacuum cleaner was. She pulled it and placed it into the hallway closet by the bathroom.

Mark was already sitting at the counter and eating one of the scones when she got back and she took a seat across from him. He looked up at her and grinned. "I think if I had these everyday for the rest of my life, I would die happy."

She laughed. "What is with your obsession with blueberry scones?"

He was silent for a moment and then he looked up at her. "My mother used to make them… before she died. I was seven."

"Mark," her voice softened. She placed a hand on her arm. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he smiled at her. "It's been a long time."

"What about your dad?" she asked. "Feel free to tell me to mind my own business at any time."

He shook his head. "It's fine. Let's just say my dad and I don't talk."

She gave his arm a comforting squeeze as their gazes met. "Well, if it makes you feel better, I have no idea who my dad is and my mom and I don't keep in contact either."

The timer on the oven went off at that moment, effectively breaking their eye contact. Izzie rose from her seat, once again grabbing the oven mitts and pulled the peach cobbler out of the oven. Heavenly smells invaded the kitchen as she placed the cobbler onto the counter to cool. Just as she was about to cut the cobbler into pieces, a knock came at the door and she went to answer it.

"Hi, Miss Izzie!" An eight-year-old little girl with chestnut colored hair tied in pig tails burst into the room as Izzie bent down to give her a hug. Mark continued to sit where he was in the kitchen watching the scene with interest.

"Hey, Katie," Izzie said affectionately and then looked up at the door way where the little girl's mother entered. "Hi, Mrs. Brennan."

"Hello, Izzie," the older woman smiled.

"Is Jasper ready, yet?" Katie piped up. "We're gonna have lots of fun today!"

Mark chuckled, causing the little girl to notice him. Katie tugged on Izzie's hand and pointed towards him. "Miss Izzie, who's that?"

"That's my friend, Mark. He works with me at the hospital," the blonde told her. "Mark, this is Katie and her mother Diane. They're going to take care of Jasper today while we're out. They live next door."

Mark stood up from where he sat and reached out and shook Diane's hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," the woman nodded.

Izzie had clipped Jasper's leash onto his collar and then handed it over to Katie. The little girl clutched at the leash like it was her lifeline. "Take good care of him, okay?" she told the little girl. "I'll be back for him later."

"We will!" Katie promised as she and her mother turned to leave. "Bye Miss Izzie! Bye Mr. Mark!" She waved and then Izzie shut the door behind them.

"Cute kid," he remarked.

Izzie grinned and nodded. "Yeah, and they're really nice too. Katie wants a dog of her own but Diane can't really afford one, so they offer to watch Jasper for me sometimes when I'm at work. This way, everyone is happy."

"So, are you ready to go? The zoo is waiting for us."

Izzie took one more look around her apartment and nodded. "Yeah, just let me wrap the desserts up. I'll meet you outside?"

Mark nodded his agreement and Izzie spent the next two minutes wrapping up her desserts so that they wouldn't spoil throughout the day. She took one last look around her immaculate apartment and smiled with satisfactory that it was clean enough to her liking. Slipping on her jacket and grabbing her keys and her purse, she flipped off the lights and made her way outside to where Mark was waiting.

On his motorcycle.

Izzie stopped in her tracks and just stared.

She couldn't help herself.

Izzie was fourteen years old and had just started high school when she first saw what a motorcycle looked like. Shawn Nicholson, who had been the star quarterback on the football team and an all around nice guy, had been her first major crush. She remembered on one sunny afternoon, she was in the school's deserted parking lot crying because some immature boy had made fun of her still flat chest, when the roar of an engine came from her left. She would never forget the entrance that Shawn Nicholson had made because he had driven his motorcycle right up to where she sat and had asked if she was okay. As Izzie grew up, she never forgot the boy whose kind words had helped made her feel better and she never forgot how heroic he looked sitting on that motorcycle. Ever since then, she harbored a secret guilty pleasure for good looking men on motorcycles.

Mark Sloan looked undeniably sexy and desirable sitting on his midnight blue sports bike wearing his signature black leather jacket and it was all Izzie could do to stop drooling. Her eyes roamed over him, taking in the desirable picture that he made and making note of the finely shaped muscles of his arms that his jacket currently covered. He hadn't noticed her presence yet, too busy checking the gears and she took a moment to admire his behind, unconsciously licking her lips as she did so.

"Are you just going to stand there all day? I thought you wanted to go to the zoo. Baby seals to see and all that."

His question broke her out of her daze and Izzie realized that she had just spent the last few minutes actively checking out Mark Sloan. A blush crept up her cheeks and the heat spreading down her neck, her ears burning as she made her way down the pathway to where he stood perched on his motorbike. She hoped with all her might that Mark hadn't noticed her actions.

"Right," Izzie swallowed as he handed her a helmet. "You have a motorcyle?"

"Yeah," he grinned as he started the engine. "I've had this baby for years."

_How insanely sexy, _she thought.

"Let's get this show on the road."

Izzie felt her face grow hotter as she climbed on to the vehicle behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. And as they sped down the street, all she could do was wonder why her heart had sped up the moment she had her arms around him.

--

You know what to do ;)


	13. Chapter 13

Some parts of this chapter came from the episode 'Let the Angels Commit.' Grey's Anatomy and all its characters belong to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.

Thanks for all the awesome reviews everybody! We are now going to see some changes concerning Mark and Izzie's relationship ;) This fic has not been beta'd so if anyone notices any mistakes let me know!

--

A few days had passed by since their zoo trip and not once did Izzie forget what had happened to her when she had seen Mark sitting on his motorcycle. He was on her mind all the time now. She would think of him at random times – whenever she passed by the observatory doors, or whenever she would be baking or packing lunch for work, or even when she would be scrubbed in on a surgery. She couldn't explain the sudden attraction that she felt for Mark Sloan and it was driving her crazy with questions running through her mind all the time. Questions that she had no answers to, and she couldn't even begin to answer them because she had no idea how all this came about.

Well, that wasn't exactly true.

Her secret guilty pleasure of seeing men on motorbikes had everything to do with how this came about because thanks to her _secret guilty pleasure_, she had suddenly realized just how attractive and good looking Mark Sloan was. Not that she hadn't realized how attractive he was before, she had – she just hadn't let it affect her. With just one look, _one look_, Izzie could no longer forget the reason why she and her friends had nicknamed him McSteamy. She noticed everything he did now – the way he would talk to his patients, how he walked through the hallways of Seattle Grace Hospital with a confident air, the way he would smile charmingly at a nurse whenever he wanted something – she noticed _everything_.

And it was driving her crazy.

It was driving her crazy because in a true Izzie fashion, she was analyzing anything and everything he did without knowing why. Every time she saw him in the last couple of days, her heart had started beating faster and she became nervous. Whenever he smiled at her, she would blush and she was even starting to daydream! Her life had been simple and drama free for the last couple of months and now, all of a sudden, it was complicated again. These… these _feelings_ had popped up out of nowhere and now she was completely confused.

_Ding!_

The sound of the elevator doors opening broke Izzie out of her thoughts and she smiled as Meredith stepped onto the lift. Her friend had a disgruntled look on her face, causing the blonde to be immediately concerned. The expression that Meredith wore was one that she always had whenever things weren't right with her relationship with Derek. Welcoming the distraction from her thoughts, Izzie decided to ask Meredith what was wrong.

"Derek had a woman in his trailer last night," Meredith said with a scowl on her face.

Izzie's eyes went wide. "Seriously?"

"She was ugly, very ugly," Meredith continued. "Except she was tall and beautiful and he was naked."

"Seriously?" she repeated.

"Seriously."

"Maybe it's not what you think," Izzie suggested.

Meredith scowled again. "He was naked! And wet!"

The elevator doors opened and they both stepped out onto the hallway and began making their way to the locker rooms. "Okay," Izzie said as she stepped in front of Meredith and began walking backwards. "Let's just go get some coffee and then we'll find you a nice surgery, so you can imagine you're cutting Derek open. That should make you feel - "

Before Izzie could finish her sentence, she had bumped into to someone. "Oh, I'm sorry… sorry!" she quickly apologized as turned around and found herself face to face with none other than Derek Shepherd. "Sorry, Dr. Shepherd!"

"Don't worry about it, Dr. Stevens," Derek nodded at her and then turned to her fellow intern. "Meredith -"

Derek was interrupted as a brunette woman came up to them. "Okay, the trailer sucks but in the light of day the land is nice. Seattle is pretty in the daylight, plus you have your thing for ferries, so…"

"Ferry boats," Derek and Meredith corrected her at the same time.

"Right. Whatever," the woman shrugged.

"Dr. Stevens, Meredith, this is my sister Nancy," Derek introduced the woman.

"Oh," Izzie gave a meaningful glance to Meredith. "Hi!"

"Sister?" Meredith repeated.

"Yeah," Derek nodded. "Mmm Hmm."

"Oh," Meredith let out a nervous laugh. "You're one of Derek's sisters."

"Well, I knew you didn't think I was the wife seeing as you already ran her off," Nancy smiled, causing Izzie to raise an eyebrow at her tone.

"Nancy is visiting from Connecticut and she's on her way home now," Derek gave a pointed glance at his sister. "Straight back home."

Meredith let out another nervous laugh. "Right. Well, it nice to meet you."

"Okay," Nancy said coolly.

Izzie couldn't help but laugh as she followed Meredith down the hallway once more. Meredith's predicament had definitely gotten her mind off of things that were bothering her at the moment. "McDreamy's sister is McBitchy!"

--

Mark grinned as he walked down the hallways of Seattle Grace Hospital, noting with amusement as the nurses openly checked him out as he walked past. He enjoyed being admired for his looks because; let's face it, what man didn't? It was flattering and gave a large boost to his ego to know that if he had wanted too, he could go up to any one of these women and they would be willing to get into his bed without any effort.

But knowing was one thing and doing it was another.

It had been weeks since Mark Sloan had brought a woman to his hotel room or even attempted to pick up a woman at a bar. It had been fairly difficult and frustrating at first, but gradually he had gotten used to the fact that he no longer needed a female body to warm his bed at night. In fact, the only woman that had been in his bed in the last couple of weeks had been Izzie and that was only when they were hanging out and it had gotten too late for her to drive home.

Looking back on his life in the last couple of months, he had realized just how much he had changed. The changes were subtle, but were there nonetheless, and it was quite hard to believe that he was living his life the way he was. Without a doubt, he knew that it was Izzie's companionship that had made it all so bearable. He never thought that it would be so satisfying to just be friends with a woman, the way he was friends with Izzie. His friendship was the blonde intern was almost like his friendship was with Derek and Addison, only it was on a whole new level and he hoped that he would never do anything to screw it up.

He stopped at the nurses' station and grabbed one of the files that had his entire patient's medical history information on it and began flipping through them. Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed a tall brunette woman approaching Karev, who was standing across the room, and it was only when he heard her voice that he realized who she was. He looked up and grinned. "Nancy Pants?" he called out.

Nancy Shepherd looked at him and grinned back. "Hey, loser," she said as she crossed the room to give him a hug.

He returned the embrace wholeheartedly. "I wish Derek had told me you were coming to visit!"

"Oh, like he tells you anything these days," she pulled back and regarded him with an interested look.

"Yeah, well," he sighed. "I'm working on that."

"What are you doing here, Mark? Are you trying to torture him?"

He shook his head. "He's my family, Nancy."

Nancy gave him a pointed look.

"Plus, I needed a change of pace," he added.

Nancy tilted her head.

Mark sighed again and rolled his eyes. "Plus I slept with my tennis partner's wife and he went out and bought a gun."

Nancy nodded and pointed at him, finally believing his answer. "There it is."

Before Mark could respond, there was a squeal and Addison appeared from around the corner. He watched as the two women embraced and he was momentarily thrown back in time. It was almost as if it was a few years ago and he was standing in Derek and Addison's backyard, surrounded by the Shepherd family and happy laughter. The image of happier times in his life made him feel nostalgic and he wished more than ever that he and Derek were friends again.

Nancy and Addison pulled apart and suddenly Nancy's expression turned into one of concern. "Derek!" she called out. "Derek!"

Mark and Addison turned just in time to see Derek get onto the elevator.

"I wanna see the two uteruses!" Nancy told the neonatal surgeon.

"Yeah, find me later!" Addison called out as Derek's older sister began hurrying after Derek.

"I miss her," Mark told Addison.

The redheaded doctor nodded. "Me too," she said softly.

There was an awkward silence as he and Addison stood around the nurses' station. Not knowing what to do, Mark turned and began going through the charts that he'd been doing earlier. He could feel Addison staring at him from behind, the weight of her gaze made him feel more uncomfortable than he had in a long time. "Is there something you need, Addison?" he asked without looking up from his files.

"You're different," Addison's voice was still in the same soft tone.

He looked up at her. "Excuse me?"

"You're different, Mark," she repeated.

He had no idea how to respond, so he kept silent.

Addison rounded the nurses' station and leaned against the counter so that she was facing him. "Why are you so different?"

"I'm not," he said, avoiding her gaze.

The neonatal surgeon shook her head, her red hair shining under the hospital lights. "No, Mark. I know you... I've known you for a long time and I know there's something different about you," she paused, taking a moment to study him. "You're… calmer, somehow. And you hate teaching, but yet, your interns are learning from you and you're actually patient with them! Not to mention, I haven't seen you flirting with any of the nurses lately…"

Mark sighed and glanced up at the clock that was hanging on the wall. Seeing that it was nearly lunchtime, he decided that he wanted out of this conversation. He turned to Addison and for the first time, realized that seeing the redhead hadn't hurt nearly as much as it used too. "Are you happy?"

She looked surprised at his question but nonetheless nodded. "Yeah," she smiled. "I'm doing alright."

He nodded and began gathering his files. "Good." He began walking off towards the elevators and at the last moment thought of something to say. He turned back around and was surprised to see Addison still watching him. He smiled. "Time changes things, Addie. Time always changes everything." And with that last sentence, he got onto the elevator, knowing the truth of his words.

--

Izzie was already sitting against the wall in the observatory by the time he arrived. Her head was bent down, studying the textbooks in front of her intently and every so often she would take a bite of the apple that was in her hand. He stood at the entrance doors, watching the blonde as she studied. She would close her eyes whenever she asked herself a question and her reaction would depend on whether or not she had gotten the answer right or wrong. If it was wrong, she would let out a tiny sigh of frustration and shake her head. If her answer was right, she would let out a tiny squeal and smile brightly and he could see her mentally patting herself on the back.

He thought her actions were cute.

Mark headed towards Izzie, the sound of his footsteps caused her to look up and when she saw him, he noticed that she became a little nervous. The blonde quickly shut her textbooks and gathered them into a neat pile as he sat down next to her.

"Hey!" she greeted with a sigh, her cheeks reddening.

"Izzie," he nodded, wondering why she was acting so odd. She did look happy to see him though, he observed. He handed her a sandwich that he had bought from the cafeteria. "What's wrong?"

She looked at him, her eyes wide. "W-what do you mean? Why would s-something be wrong?" She let out a nervous laugh.

"Well," Mark paused, giving her a strange look. "You're acting weird. Did something happen with a patient today? Are you stressed out? You can talk to me you know."

"I know," Izzie shut her eyes and took a deep breath. "I think I'm losing my mind. I have all these crazy thoughts running in my head."

"Oh," he nodded as understanding filled him. He assumed that she was talking about her upcoming intern test. "Don't worry; you'll do fine on your test. I'll help you study!"

"Huh?" Izzie opened her eyes looking confused. "You will?"

Mark nodded. "Sure. And you should really start taking things easy. Between studying, doing rounds and volunteering your time at the clinic, you can stretch yourself pretty thin if you aren't careful."

"Right," the blonde nodded as if she suddenly understood where their conversation was going. "I'll be fine. I've got the night off."

"Really?" Mark raised an eyebrow. He had the night off too. "Want to go to the movies? I want to see that new James Bond flick."

Izzie looked more comfortable with the change of topics. "Wish I could but I already promised Cristina that I would go shopping with her for her wedding dress. Apparently, her mother and Burke's mother have planned this elaborate wedding that she wants no part of but she's going through with it anyway because she loves Burke so much. Plus, I need to get a dress for the hospital ball coming up. How about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow it is," he agreed, disappointment filling him at the thought of not hanging out with her that night.

As usual, a comfortable silence fell between them as they sat back and ate their lunch. For a moment, Mark wondered what was bothering Izzie but then he mentally shrugged it off, figuring that if she wanted him to know, she would tell him. He had gotten to know Izzie pretty well within the last couple of months and he knew that she wouldn't keep her worries and thoughts to herself for very long. He was confident that she would tell him when she was ready. His thoughts then wandered to the upcoming hospital ball and made a mental note to pick up his tux from the dry cleaners. Mark hated these fancy functions that were held once a year where all the attendings and residents of the hospital had to get together to impress the people with big money in order to get more funding for the upcoming year.

Though with Izzie going to the function this year, Mark figured that it wouldn't be so bad and that it could actually be fun. And knowing Izzie, it probably _would _be fun and unpredictable indeed.

In fact, he was almost looking forward to it.

--

"Someone kill me now," Cristina announced as she stared at herself in the mirror. The Korean intern was wearing a white wedding dress with large puffed out sleeves. She looked absolutely mortified.

Izzie rolled her eyes, looking down at her own green bridesmaid dress and smoothing out a nonexistent wrinkle. Beside her, Meredith and Callie stood in their own perspective dresses, also looking mortified. She grinned at her reflection and then glanced at her friend. "I think it looks nice, Cristina. What's the problem?"

"What's the problem?" her friend hissed. "_What's the problem_?! The problem is, I didn't want this wedding to be a huge deal and now it's taken over my life."

The store bell rang, indicating that another customer had arrived and Preston Burke appeared. "Cristina?" he called out. "You paged me?"

Izzie, Meredith and Callie watched as Cristina rushed over to where her fiancé stood. "Maybe we should give them some privacy," Callie suggested and they all moved towards the corner.

Izzie took the opportunity to look at some dresses while Cristina was occupied with Burke. Being that this was her only evening off until the hospital ball, she had to find a dress for the function that very night or she would have to attend the event wearing a dress she already owned. Given what she had been through in the past couple of months of being the subject of hospital gossip, Izzie was determined to look insanely _hot_ and was prepared to do whatever it took to achieve that goal. Those nurses could kiss her ass if they wanted to keep talking trash about her.

And of course, she wanted to make Mark's jaw drop when he saw her.

After thinking about it all day and then hanging out with him at lunch, Izzie decided that her newly discovered feelings for Mark were the results of a crush forming because she hadn't had a guy in a long while. She had gone even longer without sex because really, the opportunity hadn't come up and she really wasn't the type of girl that would randomly pick a guy up from the bar.

She selected a couple of dresses that were in her size off the sales rack and then headed off towards the dressing room to try them on. The first dress off the pile was a deep purple in color, but when she tried it on, she found that she didn't like the way the dress settled on her chest. She quickly slipped it off and tried on a pale yellow gown to which she also disregarded after deciding that the color made her look washed out. Sighing and resigning herself to the fact that she might be stuck at the store for hours, Izzie picked up the third dress and slipped it over her head.

The gown was a one strap dress that was red and simply designed. She loved the way the material felt against her skin, all silky and smooth as she let her fingers run through it. She looked at herself in the mirror and inspected the dress carefully. It hugged at her curves in all the right places and flowed out and she took a moment to enjoy how the color stood out against her skin and made her eyes brighten and her blonde hair shine. Red had always been her best color, after all.

Mark (all men, really) was certain to notice.

Izzie took off the dress and put on all her regular clothes. She stepped out of the dressing room and seeing as Cristina was still occupied with Burke and Callie and Meredith were in deep conversation, she quickly headed towards the checkout counter and paid for the dress. It cost a little more than she would've liked to spend, but Izzie decided that come party night, it would all be worth it. She _would_ look fantastic and everyone would see that she had become stronger than ever after all those hard months of enduring gossip and hateful glares.

And as the saleslady handed her the dress, now carefully concealed inside a bag, Izzie felt like she was finally coming out on top.

--

If anyone wants to know what Izzie's dress looks like, Google Katherine Heigl and what she wore to the 2008 oscars. She looked _absolutely_ stunning in that red dress!

You know what to do ;)


	14. Chapter 14

So, I struggled with this chapter. No matter which way I wrote it, it just didn't come out to my satisfaction so hopefully you guys all like it. I did my best :) This chapter hasn't been beta'd, so if anyone notices any mistakes, please let me know!

Grey's Anatomy belongs to ABC and Shonda Rhimes.

--

_Two weeks later…_

The Seattle Grace Hospital Ball was coincidently being held at the Archfield Hotel – the same hotel that he was currently staying at and Mark marveled at how lucky he was that if he had wanted too, he could do whatever he wanted that night and not worry about how he was going to get back to his room in one piece. He had arrived on time to the function, something that he was seriously regretting because he had already been there for an hour now and had spent the entire time talking and trying to convince "the big people" as to why Seattle Grace Hospital deserved more funding. So far, Mark hadn't had any trouble getting people to be supportive – he was after all, a very charming man, but the party was quickly becoming boring and dull and he was in need of some excitement.

The room was decorated lavishly, giving the appearance of elegance and class. There were a few people sitting down at the tables already and he could see a few women giving him glances as he walked past. Mark wasn't stupid. He knew he was an attractive man and tonight, he had actually put a little effort into his appearance. He headed towards the bar and after he had ordered a drink, he glanced down discreetly at his watch. It was half past seven and he frowned, wondering where Izzie was. Dinner was about to be served soon and he had no idea who they were going to sit with, seeing as Izzie had made the seating arrangements and hadn't told him about it.

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed her number.

"_Hello?"_ Izzie answered her phone sounding out of breath, as if she had rushed around.

"Where are you?" Mark asked, looking around at the people milling about. "You're late!"

"_I know! I'm so sorry,"_ she sounded apologetic. _"I got held up at the clinic and I just finished getting ready. I'm on my way there now, I promise."_

"Please hurry," he pleaded. "I actually feel stupid standing at the bar all by myself."

"_Mark Sloan is by himself at the bar? There is something seriously wrong with that picture._ _Aren't you supposed to mingle and all that?" _

"It's what I've been doing for the last hour! I'm seriously bored out of my mind. Every one of these functions is always the same. Tell me that you're almost here?"

"_Hold your horses. I'll be there in twenty minutes and then the real fun can start." _

He laughed. "Okay, see you soon."

Mark snapped his cell phone shut and slipped it into his pocket as he gazed around the room once more. Off to the side, he spotted Addison and Callie talking to one another and decided that while he was waiting for Izzie, he might as well try and pass the time. He picked up his drink and headed over to where they stood. "Ladies," he greeted upon reaching them. "You both are looking lovely tonight."

And indeed they did look nice. Addison looked beautiful, dressed in a fancy forest green gown that made her red hair stand out. Callie looked equally as nice in a lavender colored dress, with her hair in its usual waves. Both women smiled at him.

"Sloan," Callie nodded. "You clean up real nice."

"Why thank you," he grinned, flashing his infamous 'McSteamy' smile.

Addison raised an eyebrow. "You didn't bring a date tonight?"

Mark considered her question, thinking of Izzie. "Technically I don't have a date but that doesn't mean I don't have someone to keep me company."

"What does that mean?" Addison looked confused. "Either you have a date or you don't."

Mark shrugged, a smile playing at his lips.

The three of them made small talk and Mark was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to talk to Addison. It wasn't like old times where they would laugh and make fun of one another, but it wasn't awkward conversation either. It felt as though they were starting over, treading carefully through what they each would say, a friendship that was slowly starting to rebuild. As much as Mark didn't want to believe it at first, he now believed that things had turned out for the better. The world didn't stop spinning just because two people had stopped talking to one another. Life just kept on going, leaving no choice but to move on.

Addison had changed as well. The neonatal surgeon had been in his life since college and Mark had spent a lot of time simply observing her and was probably one of the people that knew her best in the world. Addison was truly happy. There was a light in her eyes that he hadn't seen since their school days and he noticed that she carried herself with that air of confidence that he had always found so irresistible. It was good to see her looking so happy with herself.

His gaze then went across the room and landed on where Derek was sitting at a table with Meredith. Seeing another opportunity to try and mend things with his best friend, he excused himself from the conversation with Addison and Callie and headed over to where the couple sat. Both Derek and Meredith looked up at him as he approached and smiled at him, to which Mark took as a good sign. He gestured towards the chair that was next to Derek. "Is this seat taken?"

Derek shook his head. "Have a seat."

He pulled out a chair and sat down, feeling hopeful. "This is some party, huh?"

"It is," Meredith nodded. "I feel so out of place."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because, I wear scrubs everyday," Meredith replied. "It feels weird to be wearing a dress and hanging out with people that we work with everyday."

Mark laughed as a thought occurred to him. "Where's Yang? I thought you two were joined at the hip."

Derek grinned. "Cristina discovered that Erica Hahn came to this function. Of course, never one to miss an opportunity to pick a cardio surgeon's brain, she dragged Burke over to talk to her."

Mark looked around and grinned as he spotted the intern chatting up Erica Hahn at a nearby table, with Burke sitting to her left. He shook his head and continued to make conversation with the people that he was sitting with. Maybe it was because Meredith was there or maybe he was in a good mood, he didn't know, but Mark was grateful that Derek was even speaking to him at all. Ten minutes had passed and soon enough, he and Derek were reminiscing about their college days and the trouble they had gotten into at parties. They hadn't had much contact since the time in the OR a few weeks ago, but it seemed as if Derek didn't mind his company tonight. He could only hope that it would last.

He continued to talk with Meredith and Derek until a small uproar in the crowd caused him to turn around and look for whatever the reason that was causing the commotion. His eyes fell upon Izzie, who had just entered the room and was wearing a stunning red dress that had made his jaw drop. Mark couldn't believe his eyes at the amazing picture she made.

Izzie looked _incredible_.

Mark had always been aware that Izzie Stevens was a beautiful woman. She had that natural beauty that many women would kill for and obviously, one just had to look at her to know that she was attractive. He saw her everyday and had laughed and joked around with her and through it all, he had never thought of Izzie as a woman really but rather a girl, a _friend_. He had seen her in her simplistic outfits, from jeans to sweat pants to sweaters – ordinary but pretty. Never had he thought of her as more than a pretty girl but looking at her now, he could only conclude that Izzie was anything but pretty or ordinary. The dress she was wearing was simple in design but hugged at her curves in all the right places, showing off the amazing physique that was usually hidden beneath the blue scrubs she wore daily. Her long blonde hair was in its usual curls, down and let loose for a change and her make up was simple – rather, quite basic but it was the effortless look that made her look so gorgeous, that her beauty could stun others with just a single glance for no apparent reason.

"Wow," Meredith grinned. "Izzie looks great!"

Mark found himself disagreeing with Meredith's words. 'Great' wasn't the word to describe Izzie tonight. Beautiful, amazing, gorgeous, sexy… the list could go on and on.

He found himself watching the blonde as she moved through the room, greeting the chief and his wife as she passed by. She stood in the middle of the room and looked around, waving at Alex as she spotted him, but continuing her gaze and he knew that she was looking for him. Before Mark could call out to her and get her attention though, he found that Meredith had beaten him to it. Derek's girlfriend had gotten out of her chair and walked up to Izzie and pointed out their table. Mark grinned as her gaze landed on him and he raised his drink to her in a mock salute. Izzie returned his smile and she began walking with Meredith towards their table.

As Mark was busy gawking, Izzie was similarly struck by his appearance. He looked like he normally did every day - the same confident air, that charming grin, but there was just something about the way he wore his suit, the black dress pants with a white collared dress shirt and the black blazer – well, she was reminded once again why he was nicknamed 'McSteamy.' That man could make anything look good. It really wasn't fair; she hadn't counted on the fact that he would look so desirable tonight.

Izzie felt her cheeks blush when she saw him smiling at her and she couldn't help but grin back. What she had first thought of as a crush had suddenly developed into something more as she continued to spend more and more time with him. Over the past two weeks, something had changed within her and she had begun to see Mark as more than just her best friend. She found herself thinking about him in her spare time and even thought about him while she was supposed to be running labs or suturing a patient. In short, the man had basically taken over her life and he didn't even know about it.

By now they had reached the table where Mark and Derek were sitting and she pulled out the only chair that was available as Meredith took the seat next to Derek. "Hey," she greeted the male occupants at the table.

Derek nodded at her. "Hi Izzie, you look fantastic."

"Come now, Derek," Mark objected, speaking up for the first time. He was still staring at her. "She looks more than fantastic, she looks beautiful." He winked at her. "Gorgeous."

Izzie couldn't help but blush even more. "Thanks," she said with a laugh. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"What matters is that you're here now," Mark told her.

Across the room, the bell dinged, indicating that dinner was about to be served shortly. Izzie looked over at Mark. "Is this where we're sitting now? I thought we were going to sit with Bailey." She looked around and spotted her resident and her husband sitting with the chief and his wife. "I guess we can't sit with them anymore," she sighed.

Mark shrugged and looked at Derek. "Do you guys mind if we sit with you?"

"Sure," the neurosurgeon nodded.

"Okay," Izzie nodded. She looked around the room. "Ooh, everything looks so pretty!"

Mark laughed. "You are so easy to please, seriously."

She playfully smacked him. "Shut up," she giggled.

Derek and Meredith were staring at them with looks of disbelief on their faces. It was strange to see just how well Mark and Izzie had gotten along all of a sudden. It was out of nowhere, seeing the two of them joking around with one another when a few months ago, it seemed as if Izzie couldn't stand Mark and his egotistical comments.

"Are you guys…" Meredith hesitated as if she was trying to wrap her head around the idea. "…friends?"

Mark and Izzie looked at one another. "Yes," they replied at the same time.

"When did this happen?" she asked.

Izzie shrugged exchanging another glance with Mark. "Right around the same time you guys stopped talking to me," she said nonchalantly.

Meredith immediately looked guilty. "Izzie…"

"Its fine," Izzie cut her friend off and smiled at her. "Remember when I told you I wasn't alone? Well, that was true. I was hanging out with Mark. He's become my best friend."

Mark grinned and nodded, confirming Izzie's statement. "She made me go horseback riding," he said randomly, making Meredith glance at him in surprise.

Derek looked puzzled. "You two have been friends this entire time? How is that possible? I mean, no one's ever seen you two together."

Meredith frowned, realizing that Derek's statement wasn't exactly true. There had been that one time Mark and brought coffee for Izzie the morning that the clinic opened. And Izzie didn't eat lunch with them anymore despite the fact that they were all talking again… she suspected that she had just found out the reason found the reason for Izzie's disappearance.

Izzie shrugged. "We hang out. Mark's presence has grown on me," she joked. "I can't get rid of him now."

"Like you would want too," he scoffed, winking at her again.

Izzie laughed and shook her head and then the four of them settled into a pleasant conversation throughout dinner. This night had been more than he could've hoped for now that Derek was being friendly and Izzie was finally there. For the first time, Mark realized that he was really and truly happy with how his life had turned out at that moment. He really couldn't have asked for anything better. Finding that he couldn't help himself, Mark found himself glancing over at the blonde every so often and each time was struck by how beautiful she looked that night and wondering why he didn't notice it sooner.

The live band started to play as dinner was finishing up and the lights began to display different colors, indicating that people could go dance if they wanted too. For the first twenty minutes everyone just sat around and watched the band play but as more time passed, Mark began noticing that people were just to intimidated to go up to the dance floor first. He took a sip of his scotch and then placed it onto the table. Well, Mark Sloan was never one to shy away from the things he wanted to do and right now, he wanted to dance with Izzie. He didn't care what anyone else thought. He tapped the blonde on the shoulder and stood up, holding a hand out to her. "Shall we?"

Her brown eyes widened and she looked at the empty dance floor. "Seriously?"

Mark smiled down at her. "Someone has to go up there and break the ice, why not us? Are you afraid?"

There was a fire in her eyes when he asked his question and he loved that she rose to his challenge. Izzie downed the last of her champagne and grabbed his hand as she stood up. "Let's do it."

Meredith and Derek watched with a surprised expression as the two made their way to the dance floor. The live band began to play a jazzier tune when they saw that people were starting to dance. Meredith had never seen Izzie act this way before in the entire time that they've known each other. The blonde was more carefree and she was _happy_. She was even happier than she had been when she was with Denny and to Meredith, it spoke volumes about the type of person that Mark Sloan was. She had never thought it would be Mark who would make Izzie happy, but then again she never thought that Izzie would move out without telling her either. Seeing the way they interacted with one another, well, something about them just... _fit._

She watched as Mark and Izzie danced with one another, laughing as they did so. It seemed as if they were the only two people in the room and no one else seemed to exist for them. Meredith glanced over at the table to her left and found that she and Derek weren't the only ones watching Izzie and Mark. Addison was also eyeing them with interest, as was Alex, Callie and George who were all sitting at the same table with the redheaded doctor. From the expressions on Addison and Alex's faces, Meredith concluded that they weren't aware of the newfound friendship between Izzie and McSteamy either. She looked over to her right and her gaze connected with Cristina's.

Cristina shrugged at her from where she sat and Meredith understood that her best friend hadn't known about them also. How could they have gone so long without talking to Izzie? She felt guilty that she hadn't really tried to talk to Izzie while they had been fighting and now the blonde's life was a mystery to her. She didn't really know Izzie anymore. Derek tapped her on the shoulder and smiled at her when she looked over at him. "Want to follow their lead and go dance?"

Meredith nodded, glancing one last time at Izzie and Mark. "Sure."

Up on the dance floor, Izzie and Mark were hardly aware that they were only ones dancing so far. Izzie was having a lot of fun as it had been a long time since she had gone out dancing. She laughed as Mark twirled her around and then dipped her, his face leaning close to hers made her heart flutter. Mark grinned as he heard her laughter, content with just seeing her looking so happy. He was never one to really take a woman out dancing because he usually felt foolish on the dance floor, but in this case, this was the one exception that he gladly made. The rest of the evening was spent on the dance floor. Twice he danced with Meredith and even once with Addison, but most of the time Mark stayed with Izzie. As the party was beginning to wind down, he decided that he wanted Izzie's company a little longer and invited her up to his room for a drink. She agreed and they laughed and joked around as they left the party and rode the elevator up to his room.

Izzie sighed with happiness as they entered Mark's room and he shut the door behind them. "Okay, I'm really glad I went to this party. It was so much more fun than I thought it was going to be."

"Yeah," Mark nodded as he headed to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of champagne and retrieved two glasses from the kitchen. "Thanks for keeping me company." He took one of the champagne glasses and filled it halfway before handing it too her. "You're going to think this is corny, but I think we should toast to our friendship."

Izzie took the glass and grinned, while he poured himself a glass. "To our friendship."

Mark nodded. "To our friendship." They clinked their glasses together and took a sip.

Their gazes connected and all at once the air in the room was charged and tense. It was as if both were suddenly aware of the other's presence and took a step closer to one another. Izzie took another step closer to Mark, but suddenly lurched forward as she had stepped on the hem of her dress. Reflexively, he caught her. Both champagne glasses dropped to the ground, broken and forgotten.

Hearts pounding in their ears, they stared at one another as a mixture of emotions, thoughts and warnings flowed through them. Mark took another step forward and gave into his urges, grabbing Izzie and crashing his lips to hers. Izzie responded and wrapped her arms around him and then they were kissing passionately, without reserve or control as though they were trying to consume one another. He lifted her into his arms and she wrapped her legs around him as he made the way to his bed. His fingers roamed around her body and found the zipper of her dress and he slowly tugged it down and then placed her against his sheets.

Slowly, their two separate worlds became one.

--

You know what to do ;)


	15. Chapter 15

Okay, wow. So, I was completely blown away by the response to the last chapter! I didn't think it was very good, but apparently all of you thought it was, so thank you very very much for all the comments and positive feedback! You guys seriously don't know how much it means to me that you all like it. (grins) Thanks!

Grey's Anatomy belongs to ABC and the brilliant Shonda Rhimes. I just like to borrow the characters and play with them ;)

This chapter hasn't been beta'd. If anyone notices any mistakes, please let me know and I'll fix them right away!

--

The next day at Seattle Grace Hospital was… awkward, to say the least. Mark and Izzie had arrived at work together, but seemed to have come to a mutual agreement not to talk about the night before, reference it, or even give any pretense about thinking of it. They were walking on eggshells around one another, unsure of what to say or what to do. The entire car ride to the hospital had been awkward and tense and several times he wanted to say something but the words always failed to come to him.

Under normal circumstances, Mark would be glad for such an arrangement – no guilt, no messy break up, no hostilities. Just a mutual parting. But this wasn't just any normal situation for him. This was _Izzie_. She was his best friend. The night before had been extraordinary and incredible but he had never been more confused in his life. These feelings had happened overnight and now he had no idea what to think. It had been an incredible night and any claim that Izzie had that she was good in bed, he no longer doubted. In fact, the night he had spent with the blonde had been mind blowing and blew any standards he'd had way out of the water. So what were these feelings for Izzie? It wasn't lust; he cared way too much about her for that. Attraction? That was closer, but the word was lacking, missing some integral element to his and Izzie's relationship.

He wished that he could just talk to Izzie, to know what she was thinking. Did she hate him now? Was she just as confused? Rejection was something that he wasn't sure he could handle coming from her.

Waking up with Izzie next to him had been an entirely new experience. That comfortable and content feeling was one he had never had before when waking up next to a woman and with Izzie, he had wished that time could just stop so that they could lie there on his bed forever. He had never wanted anything more in that moment. Sleeping with Izzie, making love to Izzie and then waking up with Izzie felt like… well, he didn't know what it felt like exactly, but if he had to choose the word… he would say that it felt like coming home.

He'd never had a true home before.

It was lucky that Bailey hadn't assigned Izzie to be his intern that day. It was already hard enough to concentrate without her around, he could only imagine how he would be acting if she _was _around. He knew they would have to talk sooner or later but he didn't want to come face to face with her until he figured out exactly what he felt for her. That was the puzzle in itself. Mark went through the entire day in a robotic motion, performing surgeries that he could perform in his sleep after so many years of doing the same things over and over again, so his thoughts were mostly on the blonde intern. Images from the night before flashed in his mind over and over and damn, he couldn't help it, but he wanted it to happen again.

Glancing up at the clock, he saw that it was quarter to twelve and his heart dropped. It was getting close to lunch time and he wondered if he should head up to the observatory that day. He hadn't seen hide or hair of Izzie since they went their separate ways that morning and he had no idea if she even wanted to see him that afternoon but he couldn't fathom having lunch with anyone other than her. After several minutes of contemplation, Mark decided that he would go to the observatory and risk the awkwardness. No matter what happened next Mark was determined not to lose Izzie as a friend; he just couldn't imagine life without her.

The nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach grew as Mark walked up the beaten path and he took a deep breath just before he opened the doors. Walking through the doors, he felt disappointment fill him when he realized that the place was empty. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was just ten after twelve and he hoped more than anything that Izzie would come by and eat lunch with him. Sighing, he sat down on the bench and waited, ignoring his growling stomach. Five minutes passed… ten… then fifteen. Every minute that passed made his heart ache and he was beginning to think that Izzie wouldn't show up.

Of course, he should've known that Izzie was unpredictable.

Just as he was about to give up and go inside, the doors to the observatory opened and Izzie stepped though carrying two bags of lunch. His heart stopped at the sight of her and he just stared, taking her in. She looked nervous as she approached, he noted. He knew the feeling.

The blonde intern reached him and took a deep breath as she sat down. "Hi," she smiled nervously.

Mark nodded, feeling equally as nervous. "Hi."

She quietly handed him one of the lunch bags that had the logo of the nearby deli and he concluded that she was late because she had stepped out to pick up lunch. He smiled at her as he accepted the bag but it quickly turned into a frown as he noticed that she was avoiding his gaze. Worry spread through him and he briefly wondered if this was the last time she would be having lunch with him. Call him paranoid, but he didn't know what to do or think. Minutes passed in awkward silence and Mark was becoming increasingly more uncomfortable with every second passing. He hated this tense feeling and decided to do something about it; Mark was never one to hide away.

He reached out and grabbed her arm. "Izzie…" he trailed off, trying to figure out what to say. "We should talk about what happened."

Izzie bit her lip. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't hate me, do you?"

"What?" Her eyes went wide. "Of course not!"

Well, that was a relief. "Was last night bad for you?"

"No!" Izzie shook her head. "Far from it."

Despite the situation, Mark couldn't help but feel a puff of pride welling up within him. "Good. It was great for me too."

Izzie smiled, but then sighed. "I just don't know what to say," she repeated.

"Me either, but I don't want you out of my life because of it."

A confused expression crossed her face, but she still didn't look at him. "I'm not going to leave your life unless you want me too."

A weight was lifted off his shoulders. "I don't want you to leave," he told her.

Izzie nodded. "Leaving never crossed my mind. It's just, I have all these feelings now and – "

"Feelings?" he interrupted her. "You have feelings? For me?"

Finally she looked up at him and a shiver ran down her spine when she saw the intense gaze that he was giving her. "Well… yes."

"I have feelings," he told her honestly.

Her eyes were wide. "What do we do now?"

Mark shrugged. "I don't know."

There was a moment of silence and then Izzie sighed once more. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. Let's go through all the facts. We both have feelings right?"

"Right." He nodded.

"And these feelings are in the romantic sense, right?"

"Right."

"And these feelings you have, they're for me right?"

"Of course they are," he gave her an odd look. "I thought that was pretty much just implied."

"Well, I'm confirming it," she replied. "Just so there aren't any misunderstandings or whatever."

"Right," he nodded. "And these feelings you have, they're for me, right?"

"Yes," Izzie nodded. "I said that earlier."

"Okay," Mark paused. "So, what now?"

"Let's take some time to really think about this," Izzie suggested. "You know, to get some clarity. We need to figure out what we want and no matter what we decide, we don't let it ruin our friendship."

Mark thought about her suggestion and decided that it was a good idea. "Alright then."

"Okay," Izzie sighed and then stood up. "I need to go think. I'll find you when I've decided?"

"Why don't we give it a few days to mull it over and then meet on Friday to talk it over," Mark suggested. "We'll stop talking to each other until then so we don't get any mixed signals. We'll meet here?"

Today was Sunday, so that gave them approximately a little over four days to decide. Izzie nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

"See you Friday," he told her.

"See you Friday," she replied.

--

Thoughts were running wildly through her head as she left Mark behind in the observatory. Thinking back on their conversation, she supposed that it could've gone worse and she was glad that they were both mature enough to be able to talk about their feelings like adults should. The feelings that were coursing through her were confusing and yet, different from anything she had ever felt before. It hadn't been like this with Denny, where the feelings had been intense and rapid, or with Alex where it had been lust and infatuation.

With Mark, it was a little bit of everything and more, and she was more herself then she had ever been in her life. Though at the moment, she felt jittery and constantly on edge but she couldn't deny that the feelings she felt were exciting.

Izzie shook her head. She desperately needed to talk to someone.

She made her way down the stairs, with the intention of going to the clinic to try and get her mind off Mark and their night together. As she walked, up ahead she spotted the one person whose presence that she had missed most in the last few months. The one person that definitely knew her better than she knew herself. Hopefully, he would be willing to listen to her and offer her some advice. Izzie quickened her pace and caught up to George as he made his way to the nurses' station. "George!" Her once best friend had turned at the sound of his name but once he saw her, he faced the front again and continued on walking. Izzie reached out and grabbed his arm. "George please, I need to talk to you."

George stopped walking and faced her. "Izzie, we have nothing to say to each other," he told her, his voice void of emotion. "I'm trying to make my marriage work and you talking to me isn't helping."

"George, I – "

"No," he shook his head and began walking away.

Anger suddenly filled her and she stared at George's retreating back with a disappointed expression. "So, you're just going to throw away our friendship, then? I thought I could talk to you George, because you're my best friend and because you know me and I need advice but you know what? Forget it. Have it your way. I'm done trying."

She waited for him to turn around but George just kept on walking and tears filled her eyes. She shook her head and took a deep breath. She glanced at her watch and saw that she still had some time left before her lunch break ended and changed her mind about going to the clinic. She turned right and instead headed towards the cafeteria where she hoped that her friends would be. She found Alex, Meredith and Cristina sitting at a table and approached them quickly and sat down. They were all surprised to see her but smiled nonetheless.

"Hey, Isobel Stevens has finally decided to make an appearance," Alex grinned as he leaned back into his chair.

"It's about time, Barbie," Cristina took a bite of her salad. "We were starting to think you dropped off the face of the earth. Is lunch with McSteamy really more fun than having lunch with us?"

Meredith frowned as she took a closer look at Izzie, seeing the unshed tears in her eyes. "Izzie, what's wrong?"

Both Alex and Cristina immediately looked concerned and leaned closer.

Izzie took a deep breath and looked at her friends. "I think I might have done something possibly stupid last night, only I don't know if it was stupid exactly and I really need some advice."

"What happened?" Alex asked.

"Okay," Izzie began. "I had sex with the wrong person last night but the thing is, it didn't feel wrong."

"You had sex last night?" Cristina asked. "With who?"

"It wasn't with George, was it? He's not the wrong person, is he?" Meredith interrupted but before she could say anymore, Alex spoke up.

"There is no way Izzie would sleep with Bambi again," he paused and then looked at the blonde. "Right, Iz? You didn't sleep with O'Malley, did you?"

"No!" Izzie rolled her eyes. "I didn't sleep with George, okay? I slept with Mark. Last night, after we left the hospital ball."

"McSteamy?" Cristina looked impressed. "_You_ did the nasty nasty with McSteamy? Way to go Izzie!"

"Cristina!" Meredith chastised. "Izzie is obviously upset about it."

"_Sloan_? Seriously, Izzie? Okay, no one was more surprised than me to find out that you guys were friends," Alex grimaced. "He's an ass but least he's better than Bambi."

"Alex!" Meredith turned her gaze on the only male intern at the table.

"What?" Alex glared right back and shrugged.

Izzie let out a sigh and stood up. "Forget it. I'll figure out my feelings on my own. Thanks guys."

Ignoring her friends' protests, Izzie made her way out of the cafeteria with the intention of going to the clinic once again. There was just too much to think about and she needed time to herself without any distractions. No one ever said she had to figure out what her feelings were for Mark Sloan _that _very day.

--

"Well, you look like someone just killed your cat."

The voice of his best friend broke him out of his thoughts and Mark looked up, only to see Derek standing in the doorway of the attendings' locker room. He had been sitting on the bench for god knows how long, just thinking about his predicament with Izzie and it was slowly starting to drive him crazy. "I don't have a cat."

"It's an expression," Derek sat down next to him. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," Mark sighed. "Where do I start?"

"Try at the beginning," Derek suggested.

Mark looked at Derek with surprise. "Are you sure you want to hear this?"

Derek looked momentarily caught off guard but then he smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I think I do."

"I slept with Izzie."

"What?" Derek's eyes widened. "You slept with Izzie?"

"Yeah."

"Wow," Derek paused. "Well, how do you feel about that?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out."

"Figure out what?"

Both men looked towards the doorway and found Addison walking into the room. The redheaded doctor headed towards the mini refrigerator in the corner and pulled out a water bottle before shutting the door of the fridge. She took a drink and then walked over to where they sat. She looked from Derek to Mark and then back to Derek again. "So, what are we talking about? What do we have to figure out?"

There was a moment of silence and then –

"Mark slept with Izzie."

"Derek!" Mark looked indignant.

"What?" Derek shrugged. "It might help to have a woman's perspective."

There was a surprised expression on Addison's face. "You slept with Stevens?"

"Yes! Yes okay?" Mark stood up from the bench and began pacing around back and forth. Addison took the opportunity to sit on the bench next to Derek and they both watched with interest as Mark began to lose his cool. "I slept with Izzie and now everything is weird! We're not joking around anymore or having lunch and she can't stand being in the same room with me without it becoming weird! We have no idea what to say to each other at all!"

"Oh my god," Addison said slowly as a thought came to her. "You have feelings for her, don't you?"

Mark stopped pacing.

The moment that Mark stopped pacing, it caught Derek's attention and he sat up straighter. "You do," he said with wonder. "You have feelings for Izzie."

Mark sighed and rubbed his eyes with his hand, suddenly feeling tired. "Yeah," he said quietly.

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" Derek asked. "Are you going to try for a relationship with her?"

He leaned against the lockers, already knowing the answer. "Yes," his voice was still soft. "I want too."

Addison and Derek exchanged a glance. "So what's the problem?" the neonatal surgeon asked.

"What if I mess it up?"

The vulnerability in Mark's voice made them both realize just how serious he was about his concerns. They had never seen their friend in a position like this before and it was disconcerting. Addison stood up and placed both her hands on Mark's shoulders, staring at him straight into the eyes. She smiled warmly and spoke when she was sure that she had his attention. "Mark, you have to tell her the extent of your feelings. If you keep it to yourself, it'll only eat away at you."

Mark stared at her and all of a sudden he started chuckling, causing Addison to take her hands off his shoulders. She and Derek stared at Mark as he continued to laugh.

"Uh, Mark?" Derek looked concerned. "Are you okay?"

"I think he's lost it," Addison remarked to Derek.

The revelation had been staring at Mark right in the face and it had taken all this time for him to figure out. It was as if suddenly there was a montage of memories with Izzie running through his mind. Izzie looking at him with concern when he told her about his aborted child, Izzie looking so scared to get up on her horse, Izzie trying to brighten his day by making him blueberry scones and bringing him coffee, Izzie looking so awkward and uncoordinated while playing squash, them laughing together… The entire time that Addison was in front of him with her hands on his shoulders, his mind was flashing to a time when all he ever wanted was Addison touching him and wanting to be with him and how that wasn't the case now. Having Addison in front of him had given him all the clarity he needed. "I love her," he told them, a grin coming to his face. "I love her," he repeated.

"I think you're right," Derek said to Addison.

Mark laughed and shook his head. "Thanks for listening to me you guys, but I gotta go now."

As he left the room, Derek and Addison stared at his retreating back with bewildered expressions on their faces.

--

Please review! If you review, I promise to update faster! ;)


	16. Chapter 16

Parts of this chapter came from the episode 'Time After Time.' I know that this episode was regarded as an "Gizzie" moment by a lot of fans, but I thought that it was really appropriate for my story for it to be a "Mark and Izzie" moment. Hopefully, you all think so too! This chapter has not been beta'd, so if anyone notices any mistakes please let me know! Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.

Thank you everyone for all the reviews!

--

Two days had passed since their agreement to think things over and Izzie was no where near close to figuring out what her feelings were. That wasn't to say that Izzie hadn't been thinking about it though because she had. She thought about it every waking moment of the past two days and it was driving her insane. It didn't help that Mark was respecting their agreement and gave her the space that she had asked for because within the last two days, Izzie had discovered that when Mark wasn't around, she missed him. She hadn't realized just how big of a part he had in her life until they stopped having lunch together.

_And it had only been two days._

It had only been two days since they'd stopped having lunch together and already she was lost without him. Their schedules at the hospital conflicted with one another and the only time they had free that coincided with one another would be lunch time but they had agreed not to see each other until Friday. She had been hoping that Bailey would assign her to be Mark's intern for the past couple of days, but no luck. It was as if Fate had been listening and respected their agreement to not see each other. But despite their agreement, she found herself looking for him wherever she went while on duty at the hospital and found herself constantly checking the surgical board for his whereabouts.

"Stevens! Stop daydreaming!"

Bailey's sharp voice broke her from her thoughts and Izzie blinked, suddenly realizing where she was. They were standing in the middle of the clinic and everyone but George was looking at her with a concerned expression and Izzie cleared her throat, avoiding Bailey's gaze. "Sorry."

She trailed behind her friends as they all followed Dr. Bailey back to the hospital and up to the second floor where they entered Ava's room, ready to complete their rounds. Izzie's heart sped up as she entered the room and she saw Mark carefully peeling away the white netting that covered Ava's face. Finally, for once she got to see him! She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. _You're supposed to be working Izzie. Focus on Ava. _

Ava had been one of the victims of the horrible ferry accident and by chance Alex had found her trapped underneath a bunch of rubble. The poor girl had lost her memory as well as had suffered extreme injuries and was now just starting to recover. Izzie liked the young woman who was always friendly and optimistic and she hoped that her family would come for her soon. She'd had a facial reconstruction just days earlier and hopefully Mark had captured what she used to look like well enough that someone would recognize her.

"Smile!" Alex grinned as he snapped a photo of Ava before she was ready. "Oh come on, man. That's not a smile."

"Can I see?" Ava asked as Mark checked her forehead to see if there had been anything he missed.

Alex showed her the photo he took and Ava let out a flustered giggle. "Is that me?" she asked in awe. She let out another laugh. "I know this is going to sound terrible, but I'm not bad looking."

Everyone in the room smiled.

"I think 'beautiful' is the word you're looking for," Meredith spoke.

Izzie grinned. "I was going to say hot."

"There's still a little bit of swelling," Mark smiled down at Ava as he pulled his hands back from her face. He discreetly gave a glance to Izzie. "In a day or two, I'll raise that hot to smokin'"

"Shouldn't we wait to take the after pictures then?" Ava asked.

"We could but the sooner we take them, the sooner we get them out there," Bailey replied.

"Your picture is going to be everywhere," Mark added. "The police, the news, the internet…"

"But if my face looks completely different, then what good is pictures going to do?"

"I was able to maintain aspects of your bone structure so your face bares some similarities to your old face," Mark told her. "Plus your hair and your eyes are still the same."

"Do you really think someone might recognize me?" she asked.

"I think you should smile," Alex said as he raised the camera in front of him again.

Izzie caught Mark's gaze as he was leaving the room and she smiled at him, causing him to smile back. Her heart had melted when she had seen how gentle Mark was being with Ava and she had realized, then and there, what a good man he was. A lot of people thought that Mark Sloan was in plastics for the sake of doing breast implants, but Izzie knew better. While breast implants and liposuctions were part of the package in plastics, she knew that Mark lived for surgeries like the one he had just given Ava – where he could restore their identities and give them hope. As she held his gaze, she knew she had never seen Mark Sloan more in his element and to her, that was a very sexy thing.

"Izzie," Bailey came up to her, causing her to break away from her gaze with Mark and her thoughts for the second time that morning. "I need you and O'Malley to cover the clinic this morning. Can you do that?"

Covering the clinic with George? Izzie wasn't sure that was such a good idea but she knew she had no choice. "Of course."

--

They were working in silence and at the moment, Izzie didn't care that she and George weren't speaking to one another. She knew that when he was ready, George would eventually talk to her and until that time, she was giving up on trying to make amends. It took two people to mend a friendship and when George wanted to start working on it, she would too. Until then, she had other things to worry about. Like, how did she feel about Mark Sloan? Ever since they had become friends, Izzie realized that they had spent nearly everyday together whether it was when they were having lunch or just hanging out in the evenings and weekends. She had been away from him for just two days and already she had figured out that she missed Mark way more than she had missed George when they'd first started fighting.

It was strange how little things could leave a large impression on the mind. The first day, she found that she had missed Mark so much that she started to bake blueberry scones just so she could feel close to him. And it wasn't just watching him eat blueberry scones that she missed. She missed hearing him laugh whenever she made corny jokes or the way he would play with Jasper. She missed the way he would smirk at her whenever she did something that he found amusing and the way he would wink whenever he tried his 'McSteamy' lines on her. Even though it had only been one night, she missed the feel of his fingers on her skin and the feeling she got when his body moved above hers. She missed the warm and safe feeling she got when she was in his arms and the smell of his cologne lingering in the air around them. But what she missed most was the effortless way he brought her to life.

"Excuse me, are you Dr. Isobel Stevens?"

Izzie jumped, startled by the couple that suddenly materialized in front of her. She let out a deep breath and smiled. "Hi! Yes, I'm Dr. Stevens. Uh, if you're Mr. Ruggero then Dr. O'Malley is looking for you. He's in exam room one."

"Dr. Stevens…" the man trailed off and then shook his head. Beside him, his wife spoke up, picking up where her husband left off. "We um… Our daughter… she has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant."

"Oh," Izzie paused. "Well okay, you're looking for hematology. Its third floor west, through these double doors, second set of elevators on the right…" Izzie trailed off as the woman began to burst into tears. "I'm so sorry about your daughter, but Seattle Grace has the best bone marrow transplant centers in the country. If you'd like, I can take you up there myself."

"No no," the man smiled as best he could though it didn't reach his eyes. "Its just that you look so much like our daughter."

Izzie felt her heart begin to drop and a dreaded feeling fill her.

"We're Dustin and Caroline Klein," the man continued. "We're Hannah's parents… we're your daughter's parents. You're Hannah's birth mother."

--

George watched as Izzie brushed past him and worry filled his veins as he caught a glimpse of the look on her face.

He had never seen that look of despair on the blonde's face before and he wondered if it had something to do with how she had tried to talk to him the other day. Izzie had been his best friend and he still cared about her. If there was something truly wrong with her and he hadn't been there for her, he would never forgive himself. He started to go after her, but before he could take a step, Bailey stopped him.

"O'Malley, keep an eye on the clinic, nothing else!"

Apparently, Bailey had seen the look of despair on Izzie's face as well.

--

Izzie sat on a toilet in one of the bathroom stalls with her face buried into her knees as hot wet tears soaked the fabrics of her clothing. Dustin and Caroline Klein had been the last people she'd ever expect to see at Seattle Grace Hospital and the moment that she found out that they were the people that had adopted her baby, something inside of her had snapped and it was all she could do to keep her emotions from spilling while she had been talking to them. Hannah, the beautiful baby girl that she had given up for adoption had _cancer_ and her parents had come to her asking for a bone marrow donation. The weight of the situation had hit her all at once and she had bolted to the bathroom to let her emotions out after telling Bailey that she wasn't feeling well.

Of course, she should've known that Bailey wouldn't have bought her excuse.

The door to the bathroom opened and she could hear footsteps coming. As hard as she tried, she couldn't calm herself down and she knew that Bailey was about to find out her secret.

"I can't talk to you when you're making all that noise." Bailey's voice echoed throughout the bathroom. "So, pull it together and get out here. _Now_."

Grabbing some toilet paper, Izzie slowly opened the stall door, wiping her eyes as she did so. Bailey was standing by the sinks waiting for her to speak. She took a deep breath. "I have an eleven year old daughter," she told her and Bailey's eyes widened with surprise. "She needs a bone marrow transplant and I'm potentially a good match. Please don't tell anybody, please. This is a chapter of my history that…"

"I understand," Bailey interrupted her. Her voice was gentle.

More tears fell down her cheeks. "She's here… my kid… I'm supposed to go up to pediatrics and meet her right now. I've thought about this moment… what I would look like… what I would say…" She paused to wipe away her tears. "I always thought I would be older…more together, more mature. I thought that she would be older… I never thought that she would be sick! Oh god, I don't know what to do… I don't know what to do," She looked at Bailey. "What should I do?"

The rest of the day seemed to pass by in a blur and Izzie found herself feeling disappointed when she learned that Hannah hadn't wanted to meet her. Before she knew it she was dressed in scrubs and lying on her stomach in Procedure Room A and feeling nervous. Bailey was standing by the bed looking down at her with concern.

"Are you sure you don't want me to call someone?" she asked. "One of your friends? You're going to need someone to hold your hand."

"No… no, it's okay," Izzie shook her head. But before she could say anything else, George had barged into the room.

"What's wrong with Izzie?" George demanded.

"George, leave! Please get out!" Izzie panicked, thinking that someone else was going to find out about Hannah.

"O'Malley, get your ass out of here right now!" Bailey stepped up and gave the intern her glare of death. "This is a private matter!"

"I just want to know what is wrong with Izzie," George said, glaring right back at Bailey. "Why is she giving bone marrow?"

"Not that it's any of your business, George," Izzie said, icily. "But I'm a potential match for someone and I've decided to donate, okay? I appreciate your concern, but will you please leave? I don't need this right now! I can't believe that you picked _now_ to be the time to try and talk to me! And what's worse, is that you aren't even talking to _me_, you're asking Bailey about me while I'm right here in front of you! Just get out! I'm tired of being the one to always try and fix this friendship."

Seeing the look on George's face made Izzie instantly regret her words as soon as she had said them. Without another word, George turned and left the room and her anger faded, her fear returning.

"How did he know I was here?" Izzie asked as tears began gathering in her eyes. She was scared and knew that Bailey was right. She _needed_ someone to hold her hand. She needed someone who cared about her there with her. She wanted to feel safe.

Bailey's eyes had darkened. "I gave Grey your blood sample. She must've let it slipped." She looked down at the blonde intern. "I'll go deal with O'Malley. Izzie, are you sure you don't want someone here? You really should have someone to hold your hand."

Izzie sniffed and nodded. "Actually, there is someone you can page…"

--

Mark had just finished a surgery and was scrubbing out when he received the page from Bailey. He looked at the tiny little screen that indicated a 911 page and wondered what was so important that it had been deemed an emergency in Procedure Room A. Rooms like that were designated for things like epidurals whereas an emergency would be in the ER or the OR rooms. But knowing Bailey, if she paged a 911, it was probably very serious and so without a second thought he headed towards Procedure Room A.

When he entered, his shock quickly turned into one of concern and he rushed up to where Izzie was lying on her stomach about to have an epidural. He looked at Bailey, feeling confused. "What's going on? Izzie, are you alright?"

Bailey shook her head and grabbed his left arm and brought it over to where she was holding the blonde's hand. Slowly, she transferred Izzie's hand into his and offered him the chair that she had been sitting on. He sat down, staring at Izzie with concern. "She needed you to hold her hand," Bailey told him, before taking off her scrub cap and then leaving the room, leaving him alone with Izzie and the doctor that was performing the epidural.

Mark looked at Izzie and saw that her eyes were full of unshed tears. With just one look into her eyes, he knew that she was frightened and that she wanted him to comfort her. He gave her hand a soft squeeze and with his right hand, he reached up and gently stroked her cheek, letting her know that he was there in whatever capacity she needed him for and that he wouldn't ask any questions. The moment he touched her, she seemed to relax and she smiled softly at him. Seeing her smile made his heart flutter and he couldn't help but grin back. "I'm here Izzie. It's going to be okay. I'm here for you."

--

The room was quiet as Mark helped Izzie slowly sit up after her procedure was over. Izzie winced in pain as she tried to get her pants back on but it was hard as she could barely reach for her clothing and without asking for her permission, he pulled up her pants for her and tied them so that they would stay up. Though it was brief, Mark reveled the feeling he felt while she was in his arms and then helped her into the wheelchair that was sitting by the bed.

Izzie cleared her throat. "Can you take me to the pediatrics floor?"

He nodded. "Sure."

"Wait, before we go, I wanted to tell you why I was in this room today – why I needed you to be here."

Mark nodded, bending down and reaching for her hand. "You can tell me anything, you know that."

Tears filled her eyes again. "It's Hannah, my daughter. She's here."

His eyes widened, remembering the secret that she had confessed to him so long ago. "She's here?"

"Yeah," Izzie nodded. "She's sick and she needed a bone marrow transplant and I was potentially a good match." The tears began to make their way down her cheeks. "She didn't want to meet me."

He wiped away her tears. "What you did today, you should be proud." He smiled at her. "I'll take you to the pediatrics floor."

The way she smiled at him made his heart soar and suddenly, he was extremely glad that he had been the one she wanted there with her. It had to have been a sign of some sort, a sign that indicated that she had the same feelings for him that he had for her. It was a terrifying feeling, to love someone with all your heart but not to know what they were feeling. It hadn't taken Mark very long to figure out that he was in love with Izzie, thanks to his heart-to-heart with Derek and Addison. What was surprising to him was how his feelings were staring at him in the face and he hadn't even realized it before then. The feelings had kind of snuck up on him.

Being away from her for the last two days had been harder than he thought it would be. As much as he wanted to be near her, he knew that he had to respect the agreement that they had with each other. That hadn't stopped him from seeking her out though. Without her knowing, Mark had been keeping an eye on Izzie, watching her from afar and knowing where she was at all times. It might've been stalkerish, but he just couldn't help himself. If he couldn't be near her, then he could be at least be content with the knowledge that she was still around while she figured things out.

Being in love with Izzie was different from being in love with Addison and it was startling how the differences had made him feel. He had loved Addison, yes, but it had been a one sided love where he had held her on a pedestal and he did everything he could to try and please her and to get her to love him. With Izzie, he felt as though he didn't have to try so hard, that he could be himself. She accepted his flaws, never questioning his motives or tried to change him. And by not trying to change him, that in itself had allowed him to change. In the past two days, he had wanted so many times to just tell her that he loved her, to let her know that he wanted everything with her. What stopped him from telling her though was the plain fear of rejection. He didn't want to lay his heart on the line only to have it trampled again. What he wanted from Izzie was a chance, _a real chance_. He would do everything in his power to not blow it, if he got one.

They rode the elevator to the pediatrics floor in silence and Mark wished he knew what she was thinking so that he would have an idea of what to say to make her feel better. Suddenly Izzie sat straight up as the elevator doors opened, wincing in pain as she did so, and she stopped the wheelchair abruptly before they had a chance to enter the room. "There they are," she said. He looked up and saw Hannah's parents through the glass window, about to enter the sterile hospital room. "I can't… I can't…." Izzie sniffed and shook her head, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "You look. Please, you look for me."

Wanting nothing more than to make her happy, Mark nodded. "Okay." He walked up to the window and peered through. There, sitting on the bed was a beautiful eleven-year-old girl. He looked back at Izzie, a hint of a smile on his lips. "She's getting the infusion. You did it."

"Is she… um… how does she look?"

"You can come see for yourself," Mark smiled encouragingly. "It's okay… she can't see us from here."

Izzie hesitated, leaning back into her wheelchair and Mark turned back towards the window.

"She's got your eyes… and your mouth," he told her. "It must mean that she eats and talks a lot then."

Izzie smiled.

"If she's in pain, she's not letting on," he observed. "She's tough." He turned back towards Izzie and held out his hand. "Come on. Come see her."

Slowly, Izzie sat up and Mark went to her and helped her up to the window. He could feel her tremble slightly as she laid eyes on her daughter and Mark gave her a slight squeeze from behind, not bothering to let her go. They stood at the window in silence for a moment. "That's her, Mark… that's Hannah. She's beautiful… don't you think? She's really beautiful."

"Yeah," he nodded. "She's amazing… just like you."

Izzie felt her heart sped up at his statement and she slowly turned around, ignoring the pain shooting up her back. She stared up into his blue eyes and she could see all the emotions that were flickering in them quite clearly. The intensity of his gaze almost blew her away and the weight of realization hit her. Mark loved her. Mark Sloan, plastics surgeon extraordinaire, womanizing playboy, was in love with _her_. He didn't have to say the words for her to know, she could read it in his eyes and it overwhelmed her. She then thought about what he did for her today and how he held her hand without asking any questions, offering his total support. She thought about the warm feeling she got the moment he held her hand and how safe she had felt. Things with Mark had been something she hadn't expected or even thought about. It had just happened, starting before she had even realized what was going on.

Having him in front of her, looking down upon her with concern and love, the warm feeling around her and how gentle he was being with her… she never felt anything like it before.

And that was when she knew.

She was in love with Mark Sloan.

Izzie felt a grin come to her face as the day's emotions faded away and all that was left was the realization of her feelings for the man in front of her. She suddenly noticed that Mark's arms were still around her waist and she slowly raised her arms so that they circled his neck and she pulled him closer to her. His eyes widened in surprise but he returned the grin, _that heart stopping grin_ that had the ability to make her weak in the knees and his arms tightened slightly around her. "Thank you," she told him softly. "You being here with me today made me realize something."

"Oh yeah?" he asked. "What's that?"

She leaned in so that her face was closer to his. "I can't wait until Friday," she said softly, her lips just centimeters above his. "You were the last person I ever expected to be friends with but I guess that goes to show that life is full of surprises. And you? Well, you're the best kind of surprise."

"Izzie," his voice was a whisper, hope was shining in his eyes. "What are you trying to say?"

She smiled. "I love you." And then she kissed him.

The kiss was soft but became more passionate as Mark responded wholeheartedly. Izzie found herself breathless with a need that could only be fueled by the undulating heat that was radiating from Mark's mouth. She felt his hands move from her waist to her hair as he deepened the kiss, gently lashing his tongue out of his mouth and tracing the contours of her lips with it. Izzie moaned from somewhere back in her throat as Mark pulled away, hands still intertwined in her hair. Their gazes met and a spark of desire shot through them both, all the way down their spines. Intensity radiated from Mark's gaze as he looked into her eyes and he found himself ready to delve into the depths of love, to give himself up to Izzie, giving her his heart.

"You love me, huh?" Mark suddenly had a mischievous grin on his face, giving her a brief kiss before pulling back again.

"Yes," Izzie breathed, her heart pounding in her chest.

He let out a chuckle, pure joy filling him from head to toe. "Say it again."

"I love you," she looked up at him earnestly and he felt that overwhelming, happy feeling spread throughout his being.

"How about that?" Mark chuckled as he pulled her towards him again and thoroughly kissing her once more. "I love you, too."

--

Let me know what you think!


	17. Chapter 17

Warning: There is lots of fluffiness in this chapter, because… well, I love fluff. And I think Mark and Izzie are due for a little happiness, don't you think?

So I'm super sorry that I haven't updated in awhile! I took some time off to study for my exams and now that everything is done, I'll be back to working on this story! Thanks for all being so patient with me! Since I haven't written in awhile, you'll have to forgive me if things don't sound right – I'm a little rusty, so hopefully everything doesn't feel rushed! (_grins_) On a side note, I can't believe I have almost two hundred reviews! You guys are _awesome_ and I hope everyone continues to review and let me know what they think of my story!

Again, this chapter hasn't been edited, so if anyone notices any mistakes, please let me know! I plan on going through an editing storm after this story is finished!

Disclaimer: This should all be pretty clear by now, don't you think?

--

Mark woke up the next morning feeling as relaxed as one could get. It took a moment for him to realize, but the reason for his lazy state was currently sleeping next to him with slight snores coming from her being. Lifting his head slightly off his pillow, he caught sight of the time from Izzie's alarm clock. It was only four in the morning, still early yet. He turned slightly onto his left side, placing an arm under his head and watched as Izzie slept peacefully, oblivious to the world around her. Her blonde hair was fanned out against the pillow around her face and his eyes traveled down her body that was hidden beneath the white pristine sheets. She looked comfortable and happy, he decided as he studied the sleeping expression on her face and a soft smile appeared on his own. Her lips were parted slightly as she breathed in and out in a slow rhythmic fashion and he resisted the urge to kiss her, not wanting to wake her up just yet.

The day before had been an emotionally draining one, but he found that he wouldn't have had it any other way. After he and Izzie had confessed their love for each other in the middle of the hospital hallways, they had gone straight back to her apartment and had spent the evening cuddling on the couch and watching movies while Jasper laid lazily on the floor in front of them. As intimate as Mark had been with women before Izzie, he had never been quite so intimate emotionally and he found it to be not as daunting as he once thought.

It was quite a nice feeling, Mark decided. He had never known what the feeling of having a new love was like, where everything was new and exciting. What was most different, however, was the fact that the feelings he had for Izzie were returned. She was in love with _him_. Not George or Alex. Or even Denny.

_Him. _

It was the greatest feeling in the world, he thought.

At the foot of the bed, Jasper gave a soft bark and slowly moved towards him now that he had realized Mark was awake. The puppy's collar jingled slightly but the noise wasn't loud enough to wake the woman that was currently still sleeping next to him. Izzie slumbered on, and Mark chuckled at the thought of what a heavy sleeper she was. Jasper jumped onto his chest and began pawing, letting Mark know that he was hungry and the plastics surgeon reluctantly got up. He scooped Jasper into his arms and quietly made his way out into the kitchen, turning on the lights as he did so. He reached up into the cupboards and pulled out the dog food and poured it into the dog dish before placing Jasper on the ground so that the puppy could eat.

He watched as Jasper ate for a few minutes before something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He turned to his right and headed towards the living room where he picked up a framed photograph that was sitting in the middle of the table that was next to the couch. What he saw in the photograph made him smile and filled him with a happy feeling. It was a picture of him and Izzie, taken on the day that they had gone to the zoo. The photo had been taken on a whim by one of those people that provided photographs as souvenirs and at the time, Mark had scoffed when Izzie wanted to buy one, claiming that they were overpriced and were a waste of money.

Izzie hadn't listened and had merely stuck her tongue out at him and bought one anyway. Looking at the photo now, Mark wished he had bought one when he had the chance. The weather had been nice that day, the sunlight bouncing off Izzie's hair and their faces were pressed close together and their arms were wrapped around each other as they smiled for the camera. He shook his head and placed the photograph back onto the table, smiling fondly at the memory. He took note of a few new photos that lined Izzie's wall and took a closer look. They were all new photos of the two of them, wonderful memories all lined in a row, each showcasing their happiness. He made his way back to Izzie's bedroom and stopped at the foot of the bed, just watching as his girlfriend continued to sleep. Carefully, he climbed back into her bed and wrapped an arm around her waist, lying on his stomach and breathing in her scent. He placed a light kiss on her cheek and then slowly drifted back to sleep, never feeling happier than he did at that moment.

--

The hospital was buzzing with activity as George O'Malley made his way the cafeteria. He stood in the lunch line and quickly ordered his food before picking up the tray and heading towards the table where his fellow interns sat. He pulled out a chair next to Meredith and sat down with a sigh. "There's something different about Izzie," he stated as he picked up an apple.

Alex, Meredith and Cristina stared at him, unsure of what to say.

"What?" George shrugged. "Haven't you guys noticed?"

Cristina rolled her eyes, no longer feeling uncomfortable. "What's surprising is that _you_ noticed. I thought you weren't talking to her?"

"I wasn't," George stated. A guilty feeling had started to spread through him as he thought about the way he had treated the blonde intern for the last couple of months. Izzie had been his best friend and no matter what was going on with them, he still cared about her. George had realized that he had been blaming only Izzie for the problems with his marriage for the last couple of months and how wrong he was. He was finally starting to own up to his mistakes.

"What changed?" Meredith asked, taking a bite of her apple. Curiosity was evident on the intern's face.

"I saw Izzie giving an epidural yesterday," he replied.

Alex looked concerned. "What for? Is she okay?"

"As far as I know, she's fine," George shook his head. "Apparently, she was a match for a bone marrow transplant for this little girl."

"How do you know it was for a little girl?" Cristina asked, looking interested.

"Izzie was having the epidural done in procedure room A and when I went in there, she told me she was a potential match for someone and I checked it out. The bone marrow was for a girl named Hannah Klein," he replied.

Cristina looked bored again. "Oh," she shrugged.

"Anyway, she said some things to me yesterday," George continued. "She said that she was tired of trying to fix our friendship and then she told me to get out."

"So?" Cristina took a bite of her sandwich. "She didn't want you in the room, so what? You weren't exactly all 'Team Izzie' for the last couple of months, in case you haven't noticed."

"The point is," George shot an irritated look at his fellow intern. "I realized what a jerk I was being to her when it was _my _fault that I was having problems with Callie. She was having a hole drilled into her damn hip and I wasn't there for her! What kind of a friend am I?"

"Not a very good one," Cristina pointed out.

Meredith shot her best friend a glare. "Cristina, you're not helping." She glanced at George and offered a sympathetic smile. "Listen George, we were all jerks to Izzie the last couple of months and she's forgiven us."

"Uh, I would like to point out that I didn't treat her any differently," Cristina interjected.

Meredith shot her friend another glare before continuing. "I'm sure if you just talk to Izzie, you guys can work things out and we can all be friends again. And then maybe things will go back to the way they were."

"But she's never told me to 'get out' before," George replied, looking miserable. "Do you really think she'll forgive me?"

"She forgave the rest of us," Meredith repeated.

Alex snorted, causing the other three to look at him. "In case you guys haven't noticed, even though Izzie is talking to us again, she isn't exactly hanging out with us. She's changed within the last couple of months and none of us really know her anymore. I mean, she moved out without telling us! She's been around but none of us have really seen her. I don't think I've seen her at Joe's in awhile either."

Alex was right. The other three interns fell silent and avoided looking at one another.

"I can't believe she spent the last few months alone," George said softly.

Meredith shook her head. "She hasn't. Izzie's been hanging out with Sloan."

George stared. "_Sloan?_"

Cristina shook her head and finished her lunch. "That's what happens when your friends ignore you for months. You find new friends."

Cristina's statement didn't make George feel any better about his friendship with Izzie. Things had gotten so bad between them that it had caused Izzie to turn to _Sloan_. Womanizing, playboy extraordinaire. One way or another, he would find a way to make it up to the blonde and to restore their friendship to the way it was.

--

He hadn't realized it, but following her with his eyes had become an addiction. He noticed and learned a lot about her from just observing her as she went about her morning routine with her patients. The way her long, graceful hands moved when she spoke, the way she smiled brightly while she was explaining about a procedure - the same smile that put each and every patient at ease. He was noticing a ton of things that morning and making a mental note to remember each and every one of them.

Her eyes. He especially loved her eyes and how expressive they were. He loved the way they sparkled when she was amused, the way those same eyes snapped with fire when she was angry… or annoyed at something. It portrayed the passionate personality that she had within her and it especially showed while she interacted with her patients.

Unbeknownst to her, Mark had been watching as Izzie worked all morning long. He had been lucky enough that Bailey had assigned her to be his intern for the day and he found that he couldn't keep his eyes off her. It brought a smile to his face knowing that she would be close to him for the day. He watched as Izzie finished up some of the charts that she had been doing for the last hour until she handed the files to the nurse in front of her before walking away.

He snuck up quietly behind her and waited until she turned the corner before surprising her and pulling her into the nearest on-call room and slamming the door shut as quietly as he could. Izzie let out a yelp, a surprised expression on her face as he pushed her up against the wall with his body, trapping her there. Her surprised expression turned into one of happiness though, when she realized just who was in front of her.

"Hi!" She greeted him cheerfully as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Mark grinned and brought his face closer to hers. "Hi," he replied before kissing her deeply.

Izzie returned the kiss wholeheartedly, pulling him closer to her. The way he touched her had her feeling as if her body was on fire and god, she had never felt this way with anyone before. Being in Mark's arms made her feel cherished, wanted, loved… it had been so long since she felt this way. This new love that she found herself in was like an addictive drug that she never wanted to give up.

The kiss ended and Mark pulled away from her slightly, grinning at the dazed look on her face. "I've been wanting to do that all day," he told her. "Couldn't resist any longer."

"Oh really?" Izzie giggled, pressing another light kiss to his lips. "Well, I've missed you all day."

Her words triggered a sense of warmth spreading through his being. Technically, it was impossible for her to miss him since they were working together all day but Mark understood where she was coming from because he felt the same way. They were _together_ but were unable to do anything remotely couple-like. If anything, past experience had taught them to remain as professional at the hospital as much as possible. The last thing they needed was more gossip that could potentially complicate their new relationship.

He let out a chuckle and shook his head slightly. "So, what are your plans for after work today?"

A teasing expression appeared on the blonde's face and she shrugged her shoulders in a nonchalant way. "Oh you know," Izzie bit her lip to keep from laughing. "The usual. Go home, walk the dog and bake. Oh, and get a couple hours of studying in for my upcoming test. I'm busy as a bee!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Well, that's too bad. I was hoping we could go for some ice cream since it's such a nice day out but since you're going to be _so_ busy -"

She cut him off by giving him another kiss that he felt all the way down to his bones. Pulling back, she flashed another smile. "I would love to go for ice cream with you."

He kissed her again. "It's a date."

The new couple spent the next few minutes slowly reacquainting themselves with one another, enjoying the newness of their relationship before their pagers beeped and reality set in once more. They reluctantly pulled apart and straightened their clothes before leaving the on-call room and going back to do what they were supposed too. They gave one another a last look before turning and going their separate ways, each with a smile on their faces.

­­­­

--

Izzie worked steadily all through the morning and well into lunchtime, splitting her time between the clinic and the patients that required plastic surgery that day. Her brief encounter in the on-call room with Mark had left her in a good mood and it was evident for everyone to see. Though she was hungry and the fact that she couldn't have lunch with Mark in the observatory that day slightly dampened her spirits, she had never been so happy with her life. She had come a long way from the lonely broken girl that she had been a few months ago. Time _really_ did heal most hurts…

After a few solid hours of hard work, things were finally winding down enough for Izzie to take a much needed break. The blonde intern made her way down to the second floor where the closest coffee cart was located and when the warm cup of coffee was placed in her hands, she took a sip with a grateful sigh. The warm liquid traveled through her system and she could feel herself relax and the grin that she had been wearing all day, appeared back on her face. Glancing at the clock on the wall nearby, Izzie found that Mark was still in his meeting and felt a wave of disappointment wash over her but quickly cheered up when she realized that she would see him in the OR in an hour performing a rhytidectomy surgery.

She slowly made her way down to the locker room and grabbed the lunch that she hadn't yet had the chance to eat. She left the locker room and began making her way towards the observatory figuring that since it was past lunchtime, none of her friends would be in the cafeteria. Even though Mark wouldn't be there, being in the observatory was her new favorite place at the hospital and it was her way of being close to him. As she was walking there though, she was interrupted and found her plans being diverted.

"Hey, Izzie?"

The blonde intern stopped and turned her head, her eyes widening in surprise when she spotted George standing off to the side looking at her nervously. His gaze was unwavering though and there was a determined expression on his face. Izzie's heart skipped a beat as she remembered their last encounter. It had been so long since she and George had really talked and she couldn't help but feel nervous as well. George was finally seeking her out.

"Can we talk?"

She suddenly remembered all the hurt she had felt the last couple of months and she felt wary. "About what?"

"Please Iz?"

They stared at one another for a moment before Izzie nodded and followed George into a nearby conference room, shutting the door behind them. They sat across from one another and Izzie stayed quiet, knowing that George would have to be the one to speak first. The room was filled with silence for several minutes as George contemplated on what to say. To help pass the time and to keep her hands occupied, she opened her lunch and began eating.

"I'm really sorry, Izzie."

She suddenly felt tired and decided then and there that nothing else was needed. The fact was, she was sorry too and she was more than ready to move on, to forgive and forget. She swallowed and smiled at her best friend. "Me too."

"I really missed you," George stood up and moved around the table to sit next to her. "Callie told me that you apologized and that you guys made amends, I really appreciate that. You have no idea how hard it's been."

"I know what you mean," Izzie told him. "Things just haven't been the same since we've stopped talking. I really missed you being my friend."

"I'll forgive and forget, if you will?"

"Deal!" The blonde held out her hand for a shake but instead, George surprised her and reached out, pulling her into a hug. Izzie returned the embrace wholeheartedly, savoring the happy feelings that were rushing through her.

"So, what's the deal with you and Sloan?" George asked, as he pulled back. "Is it true that you guys are friends?"

A bright smile crossed the blonde's face and she let out a giggle. "We're more than friends," she replied, happily. "We're dating!" Her smile disappeared though, when she saw the look on her best friend's face.

"Are _you_ serious?" The disgust and dismay was clearly evident in his voice.

"Yes!" Izzie nodded. "He's different, trust me. He was there for me when no one else was!" She looked at George straight in the eyes. "I love him, George."

She held his gaze and after a moment George nodded. "I don't understand it and I don't know what you see in him but I trust your judgment. I just hope he doesn't end up hurting you."

Grinning, the blonde threw her arms around him and gave him another hug. "Thanks George."

They stayed locked in an embrace for a few more minutes before the door suddenly flew opened and Cristina barged into the room. Izzie and George pulled apart and both gave Cristina annoyed expressions.

"Izzie! Finally, I've been looking for you everywhere!" Cristina moved so that she stood in front of the blonde. The Korean doctor looked stressed out and frazzled. "I need your help. Mama Burke and my mother are driving me insane with the wedding details and they're _here_ at the hospital and I figured you could come and talk with them since you love weddings and hopefully convince them to tone it down." Cristina stopped talking long enough to notice that both Izzie and George were staring at her. "What?"

"You're kind of interrupting a moment here," Izzie informed her friend as she gestured at the space between her and George.

"I don't care," Cristina shot back. "I think my drama is more important than yours right now. Are you going to help me or not?"

The blonde let out a sigh and stood up. She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. "Okay fine, but I only have twenty minutes before I have to be in surgery."

"Great, let's go," Cristina didn't waste anytime and was out the door in seconds.

Izzie glanced once more at George and smiled, feeling extremely happy when he returned it. "I'll talk to you later?"

George nodded. "You can count on it."

--

Later that evening, when Izzie finally finished studying, she placed her textbooks and notes into a neat pile on the kitchen table and went to join Mark and Jasper in the living room. The pair was settled on the couch watching a basketball game and Izzie felt a smile forming on her face at the sight of the two of them. Pulling her hair from it's bun, she shook her hair loose and moved towards the couch and sat down next to Mark. The plastics surgeon smiled and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer to him and she laid her head on his shoulder, her arm going across his torso. Next to Mark, Jasper perked his head up and gave a soft bark, acknowledging her before lying back down, his head on Mark's lap. Izzie let out a tiny giggle and reached out to stroke his soft fur.

"You're done studying?" Mark broke the silence, his hand beginning to play with her hair.

"Mmm hmm," Izzie nodded her head slightly, feeling extremely comfortable. She breathed in Mark's scent and let out a happy sigh.

"You don't need me to quiz you, or anything?"

"Maybe some other time," Izzie decided. "I just want to relax now. It's been a long day."

Mark let out a chuckle. "But a good one right?"

Izzie grinned as she thought about how the rest of her day had gone after she'd had the talk with George. She had spent the rest of her break talking with Cristina's mother and Mrs. Burke about various wedding details and had managed to convince both mothers that a tiara wasn't necessary for the bride on the day of the wedding. Cristina had been immensely grateful for that and now owed her a favor. Then she had gone and scrubbed in on Mark's rhytidectomy surgery and found George waiting for her after the surgery was over with a coffee invitation. While she had coffee with George, they had caught each other up with the details of their lives over the past few months and it wasn't long before they were acting like they used to – joking around and laughing with one another. It had felt as though they hadn't fought at all. After she'd gone for coffee, she had gone back to the clinic where she worked a few more hours before going for ice cream with Mark, and then they'd come back to her apartment for a quick dinner and she'd settled down to study.

She glanced up at Mark and gave him a brief kiss that he returned wholeheartedly. "The best."

--

The story is really close to being completed and I'm kind of sad that it's almost over since I had so much fun writing it. But alas, all good things must come to an end, right? There are still a few loose ends to tie up and if you want me to update faster, please review! It totally makes my day and completely motivates me!


	18. Chapter 18

Parts of this chapter came from the episode 'Desire' with a few slight changes. There's no way I would know all the medical info on my own (grins) I had to Google some stuff! So hopefully all the medical stuff sounds like it makes sense because let me tell you, I have no clue what any of it means!

Special thanks to WinchesterSmile for being my two hundredth reviewer! Whoo!

Don't own. Don't sue. Everybody wins!

--

Mark could hear the laughter and loud noises coming from down the hall as soon as he stepped off the elevator and knew instantly which apartment that he had to go to. In his arms, he held a tray of finger sandwiches and various veggie platters and dip for the rambunctious interns inside said apartment. For a brief moment, he wondered how the evening was going to go. When Izzie had invited him over to join their study session that afternoon, he'd been surprised. They hadn't had many chances to be together at the hospital, seeing as how they were trying to keep things as professional as possible, he had no clue who knew about their relationship. He wasn't worried about what everyone thought though, he had long gotten used to the fact that people thought he was no good at relationships and that he was a screw up. He knocked on the door and waited a few moments before it opened to reveal Preston Burke standing on the other side. The cardiothoracic surgeon grinned and nodded a greeting and stepped aside, allowing him to enter. As soon as he stepped through the threshold though, there was a loud squeal.

"MARK!"

He barely had time to put the food down onto the counter before Izzie seemingly flew out of nowhere and leapt into his arms. He managed to catch her before she fell though and grinned when their gazes met. "Hi," he greeted. "I take it you're happy to see me."

"Uh huh," the blonde nodded before leaning forward to kiss him on the lips. He returned the kiss wholeheartedly before pulling back and glancing around the living room. Meredith, George, Alex and Cristina sat in various places, piles of notes and textbooks surrounded them, indicating the many hours they had spent that day studying for their upcoming intern test. Burke was in the kitchen surrounded by little cakes, which he assumed were samples for the wedding. Everyone in the living room was currently staring at them, so Mark did what he was best at.

He played it cool. He raised his hand and gave them a mini mock salute and nodded with acknowledgement. "Hey everybody, don't stop studying on my account. Keep going."

Izzie gave him another brief kiss before going on back to her spot on the floor and the studying continued. Mark moved towards the counter once more and picked up the food he had brought and placed it in the middle of the table where it was easily within reach for everyone. He then went back to the kitchen where Burke was standing.

"What percentage of Americans will get an acute appy?" Alex asked, as Meredith sat in the hot seat contemplating the answer.

Meredith wrung her hands. "Seven!"

"How are the wedding plans coming along?" Mark asked, as he sat on a stool next to Preston.

Burke rolled his eyes as he cut off another slice of cake and placed it onto a plate. "Slow. Cristina refuses to show any interest but I suppose that comes as no surprise. I'm trying to get her more involved in the planning." He then turned, reached into his fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer, handing it to the plastics surgeon.

Mark chuckled and accepted the drink, remembering all the times Cristina had called Izzie within the last few days to complain about different wedding issues. In turn, Izzie would listen and then try to reason with her, claiming that weddings were special and that she should put more effort in – to which Cristina would scoff and then complain some more. It seemed that the Korean intern cared less and less about the details of her wedding more than ever as the event crept closer and closer. "I'm sure if you keep trying, she'll come around."

Preston snorted. "I doubt it. She's stubborn as a mule."

Mark shrugged, not knowing what to say. He and Burke were friendly with one another but the truth was, this was the first time they had really seen one another and interacted outside of work. They really didn't know each other all that well and they didn't spend much time together at the hospital as their specialties rarely allowed their paths to cross. Burke had a much closer friendship with Derek. After a brief moment, he just shook his head and grinned. "Thanks for letting me come over."

"It was no problem," Burke replied. "I have to admit, I was surprised when Stevens first asked if it was alright – I didn't even know you two were involved, but I guess you can't really help who you fall for."

He grinned as he glanced at Izzie, admiring her long blonde hair and feeling his heart beat faster as she looked up at him and smiled. "Yeah," he agreed. "Izzie and I are trying to keep things as professional as possible at the hospital. We're trying not to create any drama for ourselves."

"I'm very happy for you two," Burke said. "Stevens has been through enough this past year and from what I heard, so have you."

Mark nodded. "Thanks."

"Are you coming to the wedding?"

"Yeah, I'm Izzie's plus one."

Burke nodded. "Good." The two men fell silent and watched as the others continued to study.

"What are the signs of a central line infection?" Alex asked.

Meredith grinned as the answer came to her almost immediately. "Pus, redness… and… and fever!"

"What's Conn's Syndrome?"

Meredith faltered. "Um… um… I know this one!"

"Oh! Tick-tock, dude!" Izzie called out.

"She's cracking under the pressure," George remarked.

"No! Um…" Meredith began snapping her fingers in an effort to help her remember the answer. "Hypercortis… cortisolism!"

"Nope!" Cristina raised her hand, indicating that she knew the correct answer. "Primary hyperaldosteronism!" Alex nodded towards Cristina, indicating that the Korean intern had gotten the answer right. "Yes!" she pumped a fist into the air. "Out of the seat, it's my turn!"

Mark watched with amusement as Burke left the kitchen with a slice of cake and intercepted Cristina's way to the hot seat, causing his girlfriend to jump up from her spot and taking the chair, hollering, "No! It's my turn!"

"No, it's not!" Cristina's glare could be seen directed at Izzie as she tried to move around Burke.

Mark moved from his spot on the stool and made his way into the living room, taking over Izzie's former spot on the floor. He couldn't help but let out another chuckle as he watched Burke try to feed his fiancé a piece of cake. "Try this one, it's white sponge with vanilla buttercream."

Cristina waved her hands in the air, trying to push Burke away. "I'm trying to study for the most important test of my intern career! I don't have time for wedding cake."

"Try it!" Burke gave her a stern glance.

Seeing that Cristina was distracted, Izzie ploughed ahead. "Go, go!" she urged.

"Uh, what is the strongest layer of the small bowel?" George asked, looking down at his notes.

Izzie momentarily looked stumped. "Damn it… damn it… damn it…"

Thinking she looked extremely cute, Mark decided to give her a clue. "It is not snot," he spoke up, causing everyone in the room to look at him. He noticed their gazes and shrugged. "What? It's a good way to remember it!"

"Submucosa!" Izzie answered triumphantly, flashing him a grin.

"Correct," Mark nodded and Izzie threw both her hands in the air, giving the 'rockstar' sign.

"Wait… wait… wait…" Cristina glared at George from her spot on the couch. "I have a question. Do you have the wife's flash cards?"

Meredith looked up from her notes. "What cards?"

"Callie was ranked number one in her year after this test," Cristina answered. "She has legendary flash cards!"

"We don't need the flash cards," Izzie grinned at George as Mark laughed at her response. "We are independently brilliant."

George nodded with agreement. "The dream team."

Cristina rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm going to hurl. Out of the seat!"

"No!" This time it was Alex who leapt up from his spot on the couch and claimed the seat as Burke returned from the kitchen once again with another piece of cake (this time with a lemon piece), not allowing Cristina to move from her spot.

Izzie moved back to her spot on the floor and Mark inched closer to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. Both of them were oblivious to the looks that others were giving them at their closeness. The blonde intern leaned into Mark's embrace and placed her notes onto her lap, looking up at Alex as she did so. "What is actinic keratosis?"

"Uh… actinic keratosis is a premalignant lesion."

Cristina swallowed the piece of cake. "In old people!" she burst out.

"In anyone!" Alex countered.

"Is it too tart?" Burke asked, looking down at the slice of cake in his hand.

Cristina sighed with exasperation. "I don't care," she rolled her eyes at him. "Is Alex right or am I?"

Burke returned the glare that his fiancé was giving him. "Learn to care or I'll get another bride."

Izzie laughed and twisted around to look at her boyfriend. "Mark?" she prompted. "Alex or Cristina?"

Mark took another swing at his beer and grinned. "Karev's got it."

"Yes!" Alex cheered as Burke continued to glare at Cristina.

The Korean intern sighed. "I love it. I love all cakes. Can you please let me study now?"

The study session went on for another hour and a half before everyone decided to call it quits for the night. Burke had tried several more times to engage Cristina into tasting other different kinds of cakes before he realized that Cristina's patience was wearing thin and he eventually gave up for the evening. Mark found most of the session quite amusing as this particular group of interns spent half the time arguing with one another over which answers were correct and which were wrong. Every now and then, he randomly threw out a question and was often pleased when one of the interns got it right. He spent a lot of time watching Izzie in particular, as she interacted with her friends, taking note of the things that she did subconsciously. He especially loved the way she would always flash her 'rock star' sign with her hand whenever she got an answer correct – never had such an action seem so sexy to him.

Izzie reviewed her notes in the car as he drove them home to her apartment after leaving Cristina and Burke's place. Yes, he had started thinking of Izzie's apartment as home because whenever he was at his hotel, he often found himself feeling rather small and lonely in his large room. Except, of course, for whenever Izzie was there. When Izzie was with him, the room didn't feel empty at all – he supposed the saying 'your home is wherever your heart is' was really was true. After all, the blonde did have his heart and he spent most of his nights at her place anyway that it felt like home.

Mark exited the bathroom to find Izzie sitting in the middle of the bed with all her notes in her lap, making him smile at the dedication she showed at studying. She looked extremely cute with her hair tied up and wearing her 'Hello Kitty' tank top and shorts. As he neared the bed, he took a closer look at her and realized just how exhausted she really was. Between studying, working in the clinic and her everyday duties at the hospital, she was starting to wear herself thin and the dark circles that were beginning to appear around her eyes showed how tired she was. The blonde looked up at him as he pulled back the sheets and got in next to her. She smiled softly. "I'm so tired," she complained. "But I have this undying fear that I'm going to fail if I don't spend every second studying."

He shifted closer and reached out, positioning himself so that he was sitting directly behind her and began rubbing her shoulders. "Well, you still have two weeks before the test. You'll be fine. You should just relax now."

Izzie moaned slightly as his hands massaged a tight spot at the back of her neck and she began gathering all her study materials together and then placed them on the nightstand next to the bed. "Hmm, that feels good," she said, leaning back into his touch. "Can you quiz me while you do that?"

"What fluid resuscitation technique is used in acute burns?" Mark asked as his hands began moving from her neck down to the middle of her back.

It took a moment for her to answer. "Parkland Formula. Come on Mark, that was a little easy."

He grinned. "Alright. What acid-based finding do you classically get with significant vomiting? Name all four."

"Alkalosis, metabolic… um, hypokalemic… and hypochloremic!"

"Correct." Mark leaned forward and began kissing her neck from behind, making a shiver run down Izzie's spine. He just couldn't help himself, her skin was so soft! He continued to kiss her skin, while still massaging her. "What is Virchow's Triad?"

"Um…" Izzie paused slightly as she began to lose herself in the sensations that he was causing. "It's… um… it's thought to contribute to thrombosis – which is the result of vascular endothelial injury or alterations of the blood."

"Very good. And what are the three factors?"

"Oh!" She moaned, as he nipped at her skin lightly, causing her body to become more aroused. "Um…"

Noticing that she had trailed off, Mark grinned. He kissed her neck once more. "Izzie?"

"Hmm?"

"What are the three factors of Virchow's Triad?"

She turned around to face him, desire clearly evident in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around him and leaned forward, a smile on her face. "Phenomena of interrupted blood flow. Phenomena associated with irritation of the vessel and it's vicinity. And number three, phenomena of blood-coagulation." She kissed him briefly and looked up at him. "Can we make out now?"

He laughed and pulled her closer to him, his arms wrapping around her waist. They spent the next few minutes kissing but quickly gave way to their passion and their clothes were soon discarded. It was the first time they had gotten physical since their night at the ball and Mark found himself wanting to take his time.

Pulling the elastic band from her hair, he buried his hands within the silky blonde strands and kissed her with everything he had, everything he wanted to be. He heard a soft murmur of contentment and he opened his mouth slightly, feeling her tongue brush up against his and her hands against his body. He took his time, exploring every inch of her body, moving above her, wanting it to last forever and all the while, whispering his love for her. He felt her body quiver with pleasure again and again, and then once more. He felt his own release and knew that he had never been so wanted in his entire life. Afterward, she remained curled within his arms, her body resting against his in contentment. They talked and laughed and cuddled, and after making love a second time, he lay beside her, staring into her eyes while his hand stroked her cheek.

"I love you, Izzie," he whispered, knowing the statement was true in every way.

She leaned closer and pressed a brief kiss to his lips. "And I love you, Mark Sloan."

The simple sentence, with such a complex meaning, lit up his entire face and he kissed her forehead, pulling her even closer to him. Wrapped up in each other's arms, the couple slowly fell asleep.

--

As usual Seattle weather, the next morning dawned cool and rainy but Dr. Mark Sloan and Dr. Izzie Stevens were upbeat anyway, thanks to the fact that they'd had a wonderful night. Nothing could spoil their good mood that morning. Izzie protested as the alarm rang and Jasper's loud barking could be heard from outside the bedroom. She yawned and stretched before opening her eyes slowly and smiling at Mark, who was already sitting up in bed.

"Can't we just stay in bed all day?" she asked.

Mark grinned and bent down to kiss her. "We could but then we'd probably lose our jobs."

She giggled as she took in the delicious sight of his muscular (and still bare!) chest. "Sounds almost worth it," she said as she sat up, gathering the sheets around her to cover her nude form.

Mark leaned closer. "So, I was thinking that we tell the chief about us today."

"The chief?" Izzie suddenly looked nervous. "Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Yeah, the sooner the better," he nodded. "That way, when everyone else finds out, it won't come as a shock and it won't affect what the chief thinks."

"You're right," she agreed, though the troubled expression still remained on her face.

He placed his hand on her cheek. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I'm just scared that he's going to yell at me or something," Izzie admitted, looking up at him. "I mean, I've done so many inappropriate things at the hospital with Denny… and it took ages for me to get of probation…"

"Don't worry," Mark assured her. "I'll be there. We'll be in this together, okay?"

Izzie immediately relaxed, his voice soothing her nerves. Mark Sloan had come a long way since she had first seen him in the hallways on that fateful day so long ago. He was more than just McSteamy now, he had become _her McDreamy_. It was more than she could've ever expected the day she became friends with him. To think, all it took was a chance encounter at the observatory and a shared snack. "Okay."

--

Izzie felt extremely nervous as they walked along the hospitals side by side towards the chief's office. The entire ride to this hospital, Mark kept trying to assure her, telling her that everything would be okay and that if Cristina, Meredith and George were able to have public relationships with their bosses, then they would be able to as well. Deep down, Izzie knew that he was right – that all of her friends were involved with their attendings and that their situation was no different.

Except that it was also entirely different.

The incident with Denny had happened a little over a year ago now and while she didn't regret her actions, she was deeply afraid of the chief's reaction. She had broken practically every other rule… and now she had crossed the line of student/teacher, boss/coworker. It was kind of stressful… how on earth did Meredith and Cristina handle it?

"Ready?" Mark asked, as they stopped outside the chief's office.

"Yeah, I think so," her voice quivered a bit.

"Hey," he took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "It'll be fine, trust me. You don't even have to say anything, I'll do all the talking."

Izzie swallowed and took a deep breath. "Let's get it over with."

The plastics surgeon knocked on the door and they both entered when they heard the chief's voice on the other side inviting them in. Dr. Webber looked up from the file in front of him and leaned back into his chair, taking off his glasses as he did so. He gestured towards the two chairs in front of his desk, indicating for the two of them to sit down. "Ah, Dr. Sloan and Dr. Stevens. I was wondering when I would be seeing you two in here."

They both took a seat.

"Richard," Mark began, his voice soft and calm. Izzie looked over at her boyfriend nervously, wondering just how he managed to stay so collected and unafraid. "Izzie and I have something to tell you and you may or may not like what you're about to hear."

Dr. Webber sat up straight. "It's alright, Sloan. I think I've figured out what you have to say."

"Sir?"

"What?" Richard looked amused. "Did you think I was blind? I saw how the both of you interacted at the Hospital Ball. I knew that either something had happened, or was going to happen. You weren't exactly hiding anything."

Both Mark and Izzie stared at the chief. "Oh," was all Mark could think of to say.

"I can't say I'm all that surprised. It seems most of the interns are sleeping with their attendings nowadays, anyway. It was all just a matter of time before you two joined in as well."

"Please chief, our relationship is still really new," Izzie began, speaking up for the first time since they'd entered the office. "But we're not just screwing around –"

"I know," the chief nodded. "I've been keeping a closer eye on the both of you since the ball and the two of you have been more professional about your relationship than some of the other interns and attendings. If you two continue to be as professional as you both have been in this hospital, then I don't think we will have a problem. Whatever you do outside the hospital is your business."

Both Mark and Izzie relaxed. "Thank you chief." Mark said, standing up. Izzie followed his lead. As soon as they were out the door and walking away from the chief's office, she let out a sigh of relief.

"That wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be."

Mark grinned at her. "I told you everything was going to be okay."

"You were right," Izzie smiled as they stopped at the nurses' station. They glanced longingly at one another for a few more moments before sighing and resigning themselves to the fact that duty called and waited for no one. "I have rounds, will I see you later?"

"You bet your cute ass, you will," Mark winked and then leaned over to give her a brief kiss. He gave her one last glance before heading down the opposite hallway that she was walking to.

Izzie giggled to herself and sighed with happiness as she turned around the corner and quickened her pace when she saw her fellow interns up ahead. She caught up to the others just as they were turning into the conference room where she immediately spotted Burke placing miniature cakes and place cards onto the table. Looking down at all the different types of cakes made her mouth water… everything looked so delicious!

"Uh… what are you doing?" Cristina's question was directed at Burke, confusion filling the tone of her voice.

"The bakery wants me to make a decision by tomorrow," Burke answered, looking down at Cristina. "So, if you could tell me your favorite by then, that would be great." The cardiothoracic surgeon smiled briefly at his fiancé before leaving the room.

"Cakes and little place cards?" Cristina rolled her eyes, picking up one of the place cards and then throwing it randomly onto the table. "Okay, he's turning into a girl."

"I think it's sweet," Izzie shook her head, reaching for a fork. "He obviously cares about this stuff."

"This white one tastes pretty good!" Alex said through a mouthful of cake.

Meredith picked up a plate and began cutting off a slice of the cake in front of her. "I should bring a slice of cake to Derek, right? That's what good girlfriends do? Take their boyfriends cake and communicate?"

"No," Alex answered in his usual sarcastic tone. "The best ones just keep all that to themselves."

"Don't tell me you and Derek are having problems again," concern washed over Izzie. "You're not are you?"

"I'm learning how to communicate," Meredith replied.

Bailey chose that moment to walk into the conference room. Her attention was immediately caught by all the cakes that laid on the table. "You're not doing any surgeries today."

All five interns looked at her. "What?" Meredith asked.

"Your intern exams are in two weeks. You need to spend every available minute studying for them," Bailey looked stern as she glared at each of them in turn. "Believe me, when you won't have to repeat your year as interns, you'll be thanking me for this opportunity." She paused briefly to look down at the cake in front of her and picked it up. "So Grey and Yang, you're doing scut… O'Malley and Stevens, you'll be joining me in the clinic… and Karev, you're with Ava."

"Oh," Alex swallowed. "I don't always have to be on her case. Someone else can have her."

Izzie frowned. "Having problems?"

"Yeah she's mad at me, wanna trade?"

One glare from Bailey answered Alex's question for him.

"Or not…" Alex trailed off.

Everyone left the room, leaving her alone with George. Izzie stuck her fork into another cake as George picked up a slice for himself. "So… last night we studied together, today we're treating patients together…"

Izzie grinned. "And we're fine. We're not tortured, it's not weird. We made a mistake and we've moved on."

"If anything, I think it brings us closer together as friends," George finished.

She nodded in agreement, feeling her happiness bubbling through her. "We're very impressive."

"I think we are," her best friend grinned as he left the room and headed towards the clinic.

Izzie laughed as she took another bite of cake.

--

Mark entered the research room only to find Burke and Derek already sitting at one of the computers, no doubt researching for a way to get the parasite out of Jennings without damaging any organs. He absently shook his head as he placed a file onto one of the shelves in the room. Swollen testicles? The poor bastard. He couldn't image a worse fate for a man.

"Elephantiasis?" Burke leaned over Derek's shoulder, peering at the computer. "No way Jennings has that. Did you check brucellosis?"

Derek shrugged. "It could be the beginning of Fournier's gangrene."

Mark moved over to where both men were. "I don't know," he shook his head once more. "I'd go with gonorrhea before I went there."

The other two men just sighed and went back to researching.

"Oh, Derek," Mark suddenly remembered something. "I ran into Grey earlier. She wanted me to tell you that she's still working on Jennings's x-ray and that she'll be in the x-ray viewing room."

"Good to know," Shepherd rolled his eyes. "She's communicating. Just when I need time to think, she suddenly starts communicating."

Mark became slightly more interested. "You and Grey are having problems?"

The neurosurgeon suddenly looked tired and rubbed his eyes with his hand. "Sort of… it's kind of hard to explain."

"Time to think about what?" Burke asked, remembering his earlier comment.

"All of it," Derek replied. "The relationship… the chief of surgery thing… how to juggle both without getting distracted."

Burke snorted. "With Cristina I have to be explicit. There would be no wedding if I wasn't."

"Oh, it's not easy," Derek sighed.

"Oh no," Burke shook his head. "I never said it was easy. Look at all the trouble I went through just to get Cristina to decide on a simple wedding cake. She _still_ hasn't decided on which one to pick."

Both surgeons then looked over at Mark and he shrugged. "What? I have no complaints. Izzie isn't as complicated as Grey or Yang. I mean, she can be a handful all on her own… and you wouldn't _believe_ just how much pink stuff she has… but when she's upset about something, she'll let me know. So far, we've been pretty good at communicating, I think."

"Lucky you," Derek replied as all their pagers went off, effectively ending the conversation. The neurosurgeon pulled out his pager and looked at the tiny screen. "Looks like the x-rays are done."

Mark was silent as he followed both surgeons out the door, towards the x-ray viewing room. Never before had Mark thought that he would be in a position where _he_ was the one to be in a stable relationship and his friends weren't. It was as if he had suddenly entered an alternate universe where Mark Sloan wasn't the screw up and was happy with a girlfriend who loved him. It was a strange concept almost, a strange feeling… but a good feeling nonetheless – though he felt bad that his friends were frustrated with their own girlfriends. He was extremely glad that he had gotten his act together, so to speak, and reminded himself to _not _take it for granted. Because of Izzie, he had become a better person, a better man. He was happy with how he was living his life and everything in it.

His resolve? To do everything in his power to not screw it all up.

--

"Hey!" Izzie greeted Mark as she stepped through the doors of the observatory, carrying one of Burke's sample wedding cakes. Her boyfriend was already sitting on "their" bench with his lunch open. It looked as though he had picked up Chinese for lunch, judging from the cartoons that were sitting next to him, still unopened. She assumed that the unopened ones were for her and she picked up them before sitting down next to him and giving him a brief kiss.

"Hi," Mark chuckled as he took another bite of his chow mein.

She opened one of the cartoons and began eating the fried rice that was in there. "So, how was your morning? After meeting with the chief, I mean."

"You won't believe this," Mark swallowed. "But Larry Jennings checked into the hospital this morning."

She frowned. "And who is he?"

"He's the Chairman of the Board for Seattle Grace Hospital," he replied. "He's the one that ultimately decides who gets to be chief of surgery."

"Whoa," Izzie nodded. "So someone important. What's wrong with him?"

"He has a cardiru in his urethra."

"A what?"

Mark grinned at her reaction. Izzie always looked so cute when she was confused about something. "A cardiru is also known as a penis fish."

Izzie wrinkled her nose. "That sounds gross."

He laughed. "I wouldn't want to be in his position. A cardiru is a freshwater fish that lives in the Amazon. It's a parasite."

"He has a parasite in his penis?"

"He urinated in the Amazon River and cardirus are attracted to blood and urine. They've been known to swim up the stream of urine and lodge itself into a man's urethra."

"That's disgusting," Izzie made a face as she finished the last of her lunch.

"You're telling me, I feel bad for the guy," Mark nodded. "So, how was the rest of your morning?"

"Well, George and I were assigned to the clinic today," the blonde intern picked up the cake that she had brought with her and began feeding small bites to Mark, while eating some herself. "There was this patient that had come by three times with a cold and each time was discharged with a flu diagnosis. It turns out that he was leaking spinal fluid through his nose."

"Really?" The plastics surgeon looked thoughtful. "That must be why Derek left during our consultation with Jennings – he must've been paged to see your patient."

"Yeah," she replied, as fed him another piece of cake. "It was a brain herniation. His brain was literally sinking into his skull base."

"Poor guy," he replied, accepting another bite of cake. He was clearly enjoying the fact that she was feeding him. "This cake is good. What kind is it?"

Izzie giggled. "Raspberry sponge cake with vanilla cream and chocolate swirl. It's one of the sample cakes from Cristina's wedding. Burke's going insane trying to get Cristina to decide on a specific cake."

He grinned. "So I've heard."

Both their pagers went off at that moment and they stood, discarding all their empty containers into the nearby trash can. They exited the observatory and into the hallway while Izzie was busy trying to finish the last bit of cake that she still had. She quickly fed Mark a piece of cake and then took the last bite before throwing the plate and fork away as well. She glanced up at Mark and noticed that she had gotten some frosting on the side of his lip while she had been trying to feed him and she let out a full blown laugh.

"What?" Mark looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"You've got frosting on your face!" She told him as another laugh escaped her lips. "You look so cute!" She stopped him as he tried to wipe the frosting from his mouth. "No, let me!" She reached up and kissed him, slowly licking the frosting off his mouth until there was no trace of it left. She smiled against his lips as she felt his arms wrap around her waist, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss.

After a moment, they pulled apart and Mark grinned down at her. "You're a tease. I think you placed the frosting on my mouth on purpose just so you could have an excuse to kiss me."

Izzie laughed. "Honey, you're my boyfriend. I don't need an excuse to kiss you!" Their pagers rang again and the blonde looked down at hers and sighed. "I have to go back to the clinic… where Sydney Herron is… joy…"

Mark chuckled at her statement. "Well… I've got… penis fish."

"At least that's interesting!"

They laughed together once more and shared another brief kiss before heading their separate ways, unaware that another set of eyes had been watching them interact the entire time they were standing in the hallway.

--

Addison Montgomery had seen a lot of shocking things in her line of work but for the first time in a long while, she was truly speechless. She had been walking along the hallways with a file in her hands, studying one of her patient's charts when she'd heard noises coming from around the corner. Her curiosity had been peeked so naturally she had continued walking and went to investigate. When she rounded the corner, what she saw made her stop in her tracks with surprise.

Mark and Dr. Stevens coming from the observatory and both looked like they were in a hurry. She watched as the blonde intern hurried to finish off a piece of cake and practically shoved half of it in Mark's mouth before finishing the rest herself. Addison had never meant to eavesdrop but when she had seen Izzie laughing and pointing at the leftover frosting on Mark's face and then removing said frosting from his face, the neonatal surgeon suddenly realized that she was looking at a young woman that was completely in love with the man in front of her. As with most women, Mark had gotten Izzie completely wrapped under his spell and Addison didn't doubt that before long, the blonde intern would be nursing a broken heart.

Addison turned and walked away, deciding to finish up with her next patient before either of the doctors in front of her spotted her. The redhead walked along, deep in thought. A few weeks ago, when she had walked into the attendings' locker room and into the conversation between Mark and Derek, Mark had admitted that he loved Stevens. At the time, Addison had been trying to be a supportive friend and encouraged the plastics surgeon to tell his feelings to the young intern but deep down, she hadn't really believed that Mark was in love. She had been around Mark since the start of college and in all that time, she had never seen Mark in a committed relationship, much less in love with a woman. After all, he had claimed that he had been in love with _her_, hadn't he? And look at how that turned out.

Finishing up with her patient, Addison decided to head down to the clinic to try and see if the blonde intern was there. When she had first started at Seattle Grace Hospital, she had seen so much of herself in Izzie Stevens and had hoped that the young intern would be interested in Obstetrics and Gynaecology but so far, it didn't seem as if she was. Nonetheless, Addison knew that Izzie was a damn good doctor, cared immensely about her patients and only saw the best in people, but often wore her emotions on her sleeve – which could easily lead to being hurt and disappointed.

She entered the clinic and immediately spotted Stevens standing off to the side staring at a stack of papers in front of her, no doubt studying for her upcoming intern test. It seemed as if the clinic was slowing down for the day even though it was just barely after two in the afternoon. She headed over to where the blonde stood, stopping right in front of her. "Stevens."

Izzie looked up and a smile appeared on her face. "Dr. Montgomery," she greeted.

Now that she was actually standing in front of the young doctor, Addison wondered if what she was doing was actually a good idea. "Do you think we can talk for a few minutes?" Oh well, too late now. "In private?"

"Uh, sure," Izzie glanced around and spotted Sydney, waving to catch the resident's attention. "I'm just going to talk for a few minutes with Dr. Montgomery in one of the exam rooms okay?"

"Oh, sure!" Sydney Herron chirped. "Take your time! I'll hold down the fort!"

She followed Stevens into Exam Room One and took a deep breath as Izzie sat on one of the chairs and waited patiently for what Addison had to say. Looking at the blonde in front of her, she was suddenly at a loss at how to start the conversation. "Well… um… I'm not exactly sure how to say this Stevens."

Izzie stayed silent, staring up at her expectantly.

"I'll just get right to the point. Um, I've noticed that you and Mark have gotten a lot closer lately."

The smile was suddenly gone from Stevens' face and her eyes had narrowed.

"I know it's not my place, but I just think that maybe you shouldn't invest so much into him… I know he's charming and extremely attractive but – "

"You're right," Izzie interrupted, her voice was filled with annoyance. "It's not your place."

Addison shook her head slightly. This was not how she wanted the conversation to go. "Izzie," her voice was softer. "I'm just saying that you're a nice girl and you deserve the whole package. Mark may be trying, but he'll never turn into what you want."

"Which is what?" Izzie began glaring.

"Someone stable… someone who barbeques and teaches little kids how to play catch," Addison trailed off.

Izzie was quiet for a few moments and if Addison had known better, she would've realized that it was a bad sign and that Izzie was about to speak her mind. Unfortunately though, Addison didn't know any better. "I feel sorry for you," Izzie spoke up, after a minute of silence. She looked up at Addison and shook her head slightly.

Of all the responses, Addison had not been expecting that. "Excuse me?"

"I said, I feel sorry for you," Izzie stood up from her spot and stared at Addison straight in the eyes and the redhead was surprised to see just how much passion fill her expression. _Passion for Mark._ "Okay, I get that everyone is all worried about how Mark is eventually going to hurt me, but does anyone ever stop to think that maybe I can hurt Mark equally as much, if not maybe more? He's not a robot, he has feelings too, you know!" the blonde began pacing around in front of Addison, back and forth. "Our relationship is nobody's business except ours!"

"Stevens…"

"For the longest time, I've been hurting and no one was around to care! They were all too busy, caught up with their own lives and were all too mad at me to really care. Then Mark comes along and guess what? He was also miserable and lonely and hurting… we were two people who found comfort and friendship in one another because we had no one else to care about us! And now, people are telling me that he'll _hurt _me? He's the one that pieced me back together and fixed me!"

Addison was at a loss for words.

Izzie stopped pacing and glared at the neonatal surgeon in front of her. "How _dare_ you come to me and tell me what I want when you have no idea what you're talking about. What I want is _Mark_. Just him being himself is enough for me. When he tells me he loves me, I believe him!"

"You don't know him though, Izzie," Addison spoke up again. "Things may be good for now –"

"No Dr. Montgomery," Izzie interrupted again. "_You _don't know him, not anymore. The funny thing is, he would've given you everything he had if you had just given him a real chance. Don't stand there and pretend you don't know what I'm talking about – he told me everything! About the baby… your sixty days no sex-pact… I mean, he moved all the way to Seattle for you, for god's sake! He was crazy and insanely in love with you!"

This was _definitely_ not how she wanted the conversation with Izzie Stevens to go. "Look at how that pact turned out, Stevens! It didn't take him long at all…"

"No," the blonde shook her head. "He didn't break the pact first. He only told you that because he saw you stumbling out from an on-call room with Alex and he decided to let you go. _You _broke the pact first."

Addison's eyes widened at the new information she received. "What?"

Izzie nodded. "You heard me. He was completely willing to do whatever it took to have a relationship with you. Everything was on your terms. I hate that Mark got hurt and screwed over by you but I'm not sorry that he did, because otherwise I wouldn't have him now."

"I… I don't know what to say…"

"Don't say anything… just… I feel sorry for you," Izzie repeated her earlier statement. "Because you missed out on wonderful man who would've done anything for you." The blonde intern turned and headed towards the door, but then stopped as a last thought occurred to her. "And for the record, he _is _stable and our relationship with each other is built on a good foundation. Someday, when he gets a chance to, he'll teach little kids how to play catch… and he can always learn how to barbeque! People can change, Dr. Montgomery. You just have to let them."

And with those last words, Izzie opened the door and left Addison standing alone in the exam room.

--

_Later that day…_

"Hey."

Izzie looked up from where she was sitting at the nurses' station in the clinic to see Mark leaning over the counter, grinning down at her. Feeling her heart flip over in her chest at his grin, she stood up so that she was at eye level and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. He returned the kiss wholeheartedly but gave her a puzzled expression when they pulled apart.

"Not that I mind, but what was that for?"

She giggled, feeling the stress melt away from her shoulders as she stepped around the station and stood in front of him. "Just letting you know that I love you and that I missed you."

Like it always did, her words filled him with warmth and happiness and Mark chuckled. "Well, I love you and I missed you today as well."

He loved seeing the blush fill her cheeks.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, just let me change out of my scrubs," she replied, gathering her things together. "Hey, what do you say we go to the park after dinner and teach Jasper how to play catch and fetch and a bunch of other tricks?"

Mark nodded and wrapped an arm around her as they walked out of the clinic. "Sure. Sounds like fun."

--

No flames please! Hopefully no one takes this chapter the wrong way. I love Addison as a character and in no way hate her whatsoever. I figured it was appropriate for my story for Addison to realize just what she missed out on when she broke the pact with McSteamy and what Izzie had gained. It really wasn't my intention to bash her or anything, so for all you hardcore Addison fans out there, please don't flame me!

Review! It makes my day._ Seriously_. (grins)


	19. Chapter 19

Okay, so who thought the Grey's season finale was awesome?! Seriously, after that episode, I almost had no motivation to write this chapter because I was really uninspired. Who can compete with that ending?! Besides, all new plot bunnies completely popped up in my head with an Izzie/George pairing. Don't worry though, I fully intend to finish this story! (Does anyone even still read this fic? I crave reviews…)

Parts of this chapter came from the episode 'Testing 1-2-3' and Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes, who is absolutely brilliant.

Btw, I wasn't sure if Ava ever named her daughter on the show, but in my story I gave her the name Emily. If anyone knows what her real name is, let me know and I'll change it! Thanks!

Warning: this chapter is full of fluff because well, I love fluff.

--

Before they all knew it, the two weeks leading up to their exam had passed quickly and it was the day that would make or break their career as doctors – with any luck, they would all become residents in just a few days – providing that they all passed the exam. In those two weeks, there had been much drama for her friends, which made Izzie wonder just what had happened to her friends' lives when her own life was so calm and happy. It was strange to think that just a few months ago, she had been the one that was so mess up and her friends were so happy and together – now it was just the opposite.

Cristina was still being difficult with the details of her wedding and it was becoming fairly obvious that Burke was becoming more and more frustrated with his bride. There were several times that Izzie had tried to talk her friend into becoming more involved with the planning, but Cristina had just scoffed and went about studying for their intern test. Izzie privately hoped that her attitude wouldn't somehow cause karma to come back to bite her in the ass for being so uninvolved.

Alex had his hands full with Ava and her baby. Izzie hadn't caught onto it at first, but after spending so much time together studying, she was starting to see that her friend had feelings for the young mother. The blonde intern could only hope that Alex knew what he was doing because she knew better than anyone, that there were big consequences of getting too involved with a patient. Ava still hadn't gotten her memory back yet, and she could only hope that Alex wouldn't get hurt in any way by Ava's past.

As far as she could tell, George and Callie were still trying to have a baby together. Izzie's friendship with George was still on the mend and there were still times it was awkward but they were getting through it, something that the blonde intern was immensely grateful for. There had even been a few times within the last two weeks where she and Callie had exchanged pleasant and civil conversations and she was beginning to understand that while she still didn't think Callie was the girl for George, he did love her and she loved him in return. You can't help who you love, she supposed.

Meredith had had the toughest week of all, it seemed. Her stepmother had been admitted into the hospital for a case of hiccups and then had ending up dying on her way to surgery. On top of that, Thatcher Grey had blamed the whole thing on Meredith and had slapped her in front of everyone. Izzie could not imagine anything worse than having your own father turn on you in room full of doctors and nurses. Poor Meredith, she had a tough day ahead of her.

Izzie inwardly groaned as she let out another tired yawn. It was the day of her intern test and she had been up all night studying with Alex and Cristina, trying to prepare for one of the most important exams of her career. Two weeks of stressing out, studying every minute she could… Izzie could honestly say that she couldn't wait to get this test done and over with so she could go back to her real life. And get some sleep. Oh, how nice it would be to get _even an hour_ of sleep. She sighed, grabbing her coffee cup and prepared to get up.

"How do you treat pancreatic divisum?" Cristina asked, looking at the card in front of her. "Izzie."

"Oh, Cristina," Izzie sighed once more, slumping back into her chair. "If you're not going to let us sleep, at least let me put coffee in my cup."

"Okay, so go," Cristina rolled her eyes, staring back down at the flash card in her hands. "No one's stopping you."

Izzie shook her head, placing her cup back onto the table and slumping back into her chair. "Now I'm too tired to go."

"Pancreatic divisum," Cristina prompted.

"Dorsal duct sphincterotomy," Alex spoke up, shooting a concerned glance at Izzie.

"Not your turn," Cristina pointed at Alex, "but correct. Test me."

Alex accepted the cards that Cristina handed to him. "I can't believe O'Malley is missing this. How is he going to be ready?"

"O'Malley is ready!" George announced as he, Callie and Mark came into the kitchen – Callie and Mark were carrying what looked to be boxes full of pastries and a tray of steaming coffees. The other three interns cringed at George's cheerful tone; he had obviously gotten enough sleep the night before. "You guys may have the cards, but I've got the genius behind those cards!"

Mark went over to where Izzie sat and placed a cup of coffee in front of her. He began rubbing her shoulders as the blonde grabbed the coffee and drank deeply, smiling gratefully at her boyfriend when she lowered the cup. "Thanks," she sighed. "You have no idea how much I needed this."

He took a closer look at her, taking in her tired appearance. Poor Izzie, today was probably going to be hell for her. "I'll try to keep you supplied during the day," he replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Did you get any sleep at all?"

"No," Izzie couldn't even muster up the energy to roll her eyes. She just leaned against Mark, closing her eyes and enjoying the feel of his hands massaging her shoulders. "Sometimes I think Cristina is a robotic machine. She made us study _all_ night. I'm so tired."

"Hey, when you kick this test's ass you'll be thanking me," Cristina spoke up from where she sat. "Or when you fail, you'll be wishing that I made you study harder – either way, I win."

Mark chuckled. "You can take a nap in the car. I'll buy you another cup of coffee when we get to the hospital." He pulled the box of pastries sitting in front of them closer to their direction. "You should eat something. You're going to need your energy today."

"You're the best boyfriend ever," she replied. Her eyes were still closed but she made no attempt to reach for the food.

"Wow," Callie mused, as she sat in the chair next to Alex, across from Mark and Izzie. George pulled a chair from the other side of the table and sat down next to his wife. "You guys really are the real deal. I mean, you two are a real couple and everything."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mark asked. He stood up straighter and stared at Callie, feeling a little defensive.

Before Callie could respond, Izzie opened her eyes and looked up at Mark. Patting one of his hands (which were still on her shoulders) she smiled at him reassuringly. "Callie is just making an observation, babe. She didn't mean anything by it. You have to admit, people are surprised at the fact that we're together."

Mark didn't tear his gaze away from Callie, though the tension from his shoulders faded. "Maybe."

"I meant no offense," Callie added, looking apologetic.

The blonde intern smiled at the ortho resident and patted Mark's hand, which was still on her shoulder. "No biggie. He's just protective of our relationship, that's all. Are you coming to Cristina's bachelorette party tonight? It's going to be fun!"

"Yeah," Callie smiled. "I'll be there."

"Will there be strippers?" Mark asked. "Can I come?"

"It's going to be a _bachelorette _party, Sloan," Cristina looked up from her flash cards. "No men allowed. Why do I even have to have a bachelorette party anyway? I don't understand all the fuss about weddings. I don't need that crap."

Izzie sighed. There was no use arguing with Cristina about the issue. Her friend was just too stubborn and plus, she was _tired_.

"Can we get back to studying, please?" Alex asked. "We have a very important exam later today if you all don't remember. What's the most frequent cause of diarrhea in hospitalized patients?"

"Rotavirus," Cristina answered. "No… no… wait! Salmonella!"

Izzie shook her head. "No. C. diff is the most frequent cause of diarrhea in hospitalized patients."

"My girl is smart," Mark grinned, looking down at the blonde. Izzie smiled back halfheartedly.

"Most frequent cause of diarrhea in hospitalized patients is C. diff," Meredith suddenly appeared through the doorway of the kitchen, heading towards the counter where the coffee was kept. The interns in the room all exchanged concerned looks with one another as Meredith grabbed herself a cup of coffee. She was dressed in funeral clothes, ready to head to her stepmother's funeral later on before their intern test. "…which can lead to toxic megacolon, perforation, sepsis and death." Meredith looked up at all of them. "That's what killed Susan," she informed them before leaving the kitchen.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room as they heard the back door slam shut. Izzie looked over at Cristina only to see her friend staring at the back door. "Is she okay?"

"Oh, she's fine," Cristina tore her gaze away from the door and looked down at her cards.

Alex shook his head. "Dude, she's messed up."

"Of course she's messed up," Izzie nodded. "Susan was basically her surrogate mother."

Cristina stood and went to get more coffee. "Yeah, fake mom was better than her real mom."

"Is she going to the hospital first or the funeral?" George asked.

"First to the hospital, then to the funeral, then to the test this afternoon," Cristina replied.

"Did she even study?" Alex accepted the cup of coffee that Cristina handed to him.

Cristina nodded. "Yeah, she's studied. She's fine – she just needs to be left alone. So, what's inside the carotid sheath?" She looked over at the blonde. "Izzie?"

Izzie groaned and slumped over the kitchen table. "I think my brain is fried. I can't study anymore."

Just then a pager beeped and the plastics surgeon pulled put his own little black box. He looked down at the tiny screen and sighed before placing his pager back into his pocket. "And I think that's the cue for us to leave," Mark announced as he began closing up the blonde's text books and gathering all her study notes together. He placed them all into a pile and then picked them up, placing them under his arm. "Come on, Iz – go get dressed. I'll wait for you in the car."

Izzie yawned as she stood up from her chair. She waved to everyone before following Mark out of the kitchen. "I'll see you guys at the hospital."

Minutes later, Izzie was seat belted in her boyfriend's car as they made their way to Seattle Grace Hospital. Stopping at a red light, Mark looked to his right and grinned as he saw Izzie dozing, her head resting against the seat. Words could never describe just how wonderful his life had become, it seemed the broken man from months ago was gone and was replaced with someone new. Someone loved him. Someone was _in love_ with him. And that someone was slightly drooling onto his detailed seats. The plastics surgeon chuckled as he pulled into the hospital parking lot and parked near the entrance. Twenty minutes had passed since they had left Meredith's place and Izzie had almost immediately fallen asleep the minute she had strapped herself in. The chief had paged him to the hospital a half hour earlier, but he was in no hurry to head inside, preferring to sit and just look at his girlfriend for a few moments. He took in her appearance, dark circles surrounded her eyes indicating just how tired she was, her hair tied back into a messy bun – Mark thought she looked beautiful. He hated to wake her but found that he had no choice. He reached out and gently shook her awake. "Izzie… time to wake up."

The blonde intern opened her eyes and groaned loudly. "How long was I asleep for?"

He glanced down at his watch. "About thirty minutes."

"That's the most sleep I've gotten in thirty-six hours," she sighed as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

They both got out of the car and after locking it, Mark placed an arm around her shoulders as they walked into the hospital together. He guided her to the nearest coffee cart and quickly bought her a steaming cup (as promised) as well as a muffin and kissed her forehead when his pager rang again. "The chief is paging me, I have to go. I'll find you before your exam, okay?"

"Okay," Izzie smiled as she gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Thank you for the coffee… and the muffin."

He smiled at her before walking towards the elevators and taking it up to the third floor where Derek, Callie and Preston were all huddled and waiting around. "What's going on?"

Before anyone could answer his question, Addison walked into the room. "They paged you guys too?"

"I think we all got paged," Burked replied.

"That can't be good," Addison shook her head as she headed towards them.

"Sure it can!" Mark said, his trademark grin appearing on his face. "The chief could've called us all together to let us know that I won the race for chief of surgery." He watched with amusement as annoyed expressions appeared on each face with the exception of Callie's. The truth was, he had given up competing for the chief of surgery position ages ago – he just wanted to see how far he could get away with pushing everyone's buttons. He knew he wasn't going to get the position but no one ever said he couldn't have some fun at everyone's expense.

"He isn't," Bailey appeared, walking towards them. "The chief will be making his recommendation to the board tomorrow."

"Then why were we paged?" Derek asked.

"Because Search and Rescue found those lost climbers who were up on Mount Rainier," Bailey answered.

"People, the climbers are on their way," Webber joined their little group just then, his expression somber and grim.

Derek shook his head. "Any specifics?"

"They found only three so far, one's still missing," Webber glanced from one doctor to another. "They're reporting severe dehydration with traumatic head and chest injuries."

"Bad day not to have interns…" Bailey trailed off, looking worried.

"You all have to do your own heavy lifting today. If you see an intern, which you will because they can't help themseveles, turn them away until after the exam. Ambulances are five minutes away – it's time to do what we do best, let's roll people!"

--

"We're supposed to be studying," Izzie stated as she, Cristina, Meredith and George stood outside the pit watching through the window as all the attendings worked on the climbers that were being brought in. "If Bailey finds out, we're dead."

"We are studying!" Cristina insisted. "How do you treat frostbite?"

"Re-warm, avoid early surgery unless there's a deep infection due to autoamputation," George replied.

"See?" Cristina shrugged. "Studying!"

"What are you fools doing here?" Bailey's sharp voice rang out and all four interns cringed. "In a few hours, you people are taking a test that will determine your entire medical careers. The five interns with the lowest test scores will be cut from the program!" Bailey's fury was obvious as she charged towards them, an IV stand trailing behind her. "But are you studying for this test? No, you're not!" She stood there glaring at them all. "Are you helping out in the ER? You are most certainly not. Are you getting the hell out of here before I throw you out?"

The interns began inching away from the window and leaving the way they came in.

"I think you are!" Bailey's voice could still be heard, even as they turned the corner.

By unspoken agreement, the four interns split up from one another and after stopping briefly at her locker to grab her notes, Izzie decided to find Alex so they could study together. Knowing where her fellow intern would be, she headed up towards the nursery and towards Room 304 where all the newborns in the hospital were placed. She pulled opened the door and headed inside to find Alex holding Ava's daughter, while Ava was quizzing Alex. Both of them looked up at her as she entered.

"Hey guys, mind if I joined your little study session?"

Ava smiled. "Not at all."

She shut the door behind her and headed over to where Alex stood. Peering over his shoulder, she looked down at Ava's daughter and grinned. "Oh, she's gorgeous, Ava. What's her name?"

"Emily," Ava grinned.

"Beautiful name," Izzie held out her arms. "Can I hold her?"

"Of course."

Alex turned to Izzie and carefully transferred the baby into her arms. The blonde intern supported Emily's head before bringing the baby closer to her face. "Hi Emily," she cooed. "You're gorgeous, yes you are…" She looked at the people in front of her. "So, how are you doing Ava? Did some memories come back yet?"

"Yeah, she remembered something about her dad this morning," Alex replied, looking at Ava with a fond expression.

Izzie didn't miss the uncomfortable expression that crossed Ava's face and her instincts rose. Something wasn't right but she decided that it wasn't any of her business. "Really? That's great!"

"Yeah," Ava nodded. "It just kind of happened."

Watching her actions, Izzie knew something was up. She smiled at the young woman and turned her attention back down to the baby. "I'm glad."

--

"Do you have plans after work?"

Mark looked up from the patient's file to see Derek standing in front of him, glad for the interruption from his work. His neck was stiff from bending over and hours had passed since he had arrived at the hospital that morning, he was starting to get hungry. He placed the file down onto the counter and gave the neurosurgeon his full attention. "Not really. Izzie is going to be at Yang's bachelorette party so I have nothing to do, barring any medical emergencies."

"Good," Derek nodded. "Then you're going to come to Burke's bachelor party tonight at Joe's."

"Bachelor party?" He straightened and stretched his back slightly.

"Burke's best man couldn't make it to the wedding, so he asked me to fill the position. You in?"

"Sure," Mark nodded.

"Alright then," Derek replied. Something to his left caught his attention and Mark turned to see Meredith turning around the corner, disappearing from sight. He turned back to Derek. "You two are still having problems?"

"Her stepmother's funeral was today. She couldn't attend though because her father came into the hospital and caused a scene – he blamed Meredith for Susan's death and then slapped her. Then he yelled for everyone to hear that she was banned from the funeral." His best friend sighed. "I just don't know how to help her and she won't open up to me. What am I supposed to do?"

Mark shook his head. "You're asking the wrong person."

"Yeah well, I don't think anyone can really help me," Derek shrugged. "I just wish she would let me in."

Glancing down at his watch, Mark saw that there was about an hour before the intern test was about to begin. He looked back up at Derek and reached out to pat his shoulder. Derek smiled, understanding the action for what it was. An acknowledgement that no matter what happened, Mark would always be there to help out if he could. The plastics surgeon turned and left the pit, heading towards the elevator to look for Izzie. He knew she was still in the nursery with Alex and Ava studying for the test, he had looked for her a few hours earlier and had found the three of them with books open, standing around Ava's sleeping baby.

He headed towards the closest coffee cart and bought his usual caffeinated drink and a mocca latte for Izzie, as well as two sandwiches. He then headed towards the elevator and once he was inside, he pressed the button for the nursery floor. He smiled to himself, looking forward to seeing his girlfriend after a couple of hours spent in the ER – anytime he got to see his girlfriend was something he looked forward to and he was particularly anxious to see Izzie before her exam to wish her luck. The ride in the elevator was quick and when the doors slid open, he hurried through them and walked along the hallway, looking for the nursery. Spotting the blonde through the nursery window a few feet away, Mark quickened his pace.

As he came closer, he stopped just outside the doors and watched his girlfriend through the window. Izzie was alone in the nursery, her textbooks and notes clearly abandoned on a nearby counter. Alex and Ava were no where to be found and he could see Izzie fawning over Ava's daughter. Mark had no idea why he was so surprised at the scene before him, but he was captivated nonetheless. He watched Izzie all the time while they were working together or when they were hanging out and he had gotten to know the blonde pretty well over the last few months. He learned a lot about her from just observing her on a daily basis. When one met Izzie Stevens, it was easy to deduce right away that she was a born nurturer. She was the kind of woman that you knew would be a devoted mother, the complete package of cleaning, cooking and baking, among other things.

Mark knew this about her even before they had really gotten to know one another. But as much as he watched her, Mark found himself unable to tear his gaze away from what he was seeing before him at that very moment. Izzie's tired face was gazing down at Emily with awe as she tenderly held the newborn baby in her arms. There was a bright smile as she made funny faces and even though he couldn't hear it, he knew that Izzie was giggling along with Emily as the baby laughed at her facial expressions. His heart flipped over in his chest right then and he realized that Izzie Stevens with a child in her arms was somehow exactly right – an image that he would now carry with him always.

Izzie looked up at that moment and spotted him through the window and waved, effectively breaking him from his thoughts. He shook his head slightly and smiled, opening the doors to the nursery and headed inside as Izzie placed Emily back into her hospital crib. The blonde straightened as he walked up to her and Mark could hear his heart still pounding from what he had witnessed earlier, thanks to how quiet the room was. He grinned down at Izzie as he handed one of the coffees he had bought, along with the sandwich.

She accepted the items with a grin and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek.

He waited for Izzie to gather all her notes and study materials together before following her out of the nursery, passing a nurse that was coming in to check on all the babies. As soon as they were out of the quiet room, they headed down to the second floor where the intern test would be taking place in a nearby conference room. There was still about forty-five minutes until the test began so the couple sat in the corner of the waiting area and proceeded to eat their sandwiches. No words were exchanged during this time, briefly reminding him of the early stages of their relationship. One of the things he loved about being with Izzie was just how comfortable he was with silence. He was just content to sit there in the waiting room next to her.

The silence was soon interrupted though. A half hour passed by and then –

"I haven't written my vows!"

An annoyed expression appeared on Mark's face as Cristina Yang appeared and sat down across from them, interrupting their peaceful silence. Izzie, who had been leaning against Mark, sat up straight and stared at her friend. "You haven't written your vows?" she repeated.

Yang sighed and shook her head. "No."

"Cristina, you're getting married tomorrow!" Izzie looked scandalized. "Vows are probably the most important part of marriage! It signifies your commitment to each other for the rest of your lives!"

"It's all stuff I don't care about!"

Before Izzie could say anything else, a bell sounded throughout the waiting area signaling that everyone could now enter the conference room to begin their exam. Within a blink of an eye, Cristina had stood up and disappeared into the exam room before Izzie had even begun to stand up. The blonde just shook her head and turned to Mark. Her boyfriend smiled down at her and then proceeded to kiss her deeply. "Good luck."

"Thanks," she smiled nervously. "I'll find you after?"

"Actually, how about I find you? I'll probably still be in surgery – you should get some rest for Yang's party tonight."

That was probably a better idea. Izzie nodded. "Okay, I'll be in one of the on-call rooms."

Mark gave Izzie one last encouraging smile before she turned and walked into the exam room.

--

As promised, Mark found Izzie sleeping in one of the on-call rooms four hours after her exam had ended. For a moment, he just stood there and stared at the blonde intern – well, blonde resident now. He was fairly certain that she had passed her exams because he had quizzed her relentlessly and he knew that Izzie knew the exam material inside and out. Gently, he eased himself onto her bed without waking her and just sat by her side. Minutes passed and eventually Izzie stirred and she opened her eyes to find him staring down at her with a loving expression on his face.

"Hi," she smiled at him, letting out a yawn before sitting up and stretching.

"Hey," Mark leaned forward and pressed a brief kiss to her lips. "How did your exam go?"

"It went fine. I even had enough time left over to check my answers."

"That's great," he gathered Izzie into his arms. "How'd the others do?"

She sighed, leaning against him. "Meredith didn't even write the test. George said that she was sitting in that chair for two hours, not moving and just staring into space. I guess the stress of the exam, her stepmother's death and everything else that happened this past year just finally sunk in and she couldn't do it. I think the others did fine though."

Mark frowned. "She just gave up? What's going to happen to Grey if she didn't write the test? I don't think there are a whole lot of options for her now."

"Oh, George talked to the chief. Meredith got to write the test in the conference room about an hour later," Izzie informed him. She hesitated as if she had something to say and after a moment, decided to just come out with it. She shook her head. "Have you noticed that lately people aren't as happy as they used to be?"

Mark nodded and for a brief moment, he felt a tiny flare of fear welling up within him. Fear for what, he didn't know but it was there nonetheless. "Yeah, I've noticed that. It wouldn't happen if they could just talk to one another."

Izzie grabbed his hands and squeezed them. "I hope we never end up in a position where we couldn't talk to one another."

"Are you happy with me?" he asked.

"Extremely," she nodded. "You."

"Extremely times ten," he answered.

She grinned. "I guess we just need to reassure each other every once in awhile."

Mark said nothing as he leaned forward and kissed her softly. These stolen moments when they were alone at the hospital almost had an almost dreamlike intensity and he had never felt anything like it. He was attuned to Izzie's every move, aware of the way she ran her fingers through his hair or pulling him closer to her and rubbing the back of his neck affectionately. It had never been like this with anyone else and he hoped that it never would be.

--

"This is what you invited me to? This is your big bachelor party?" Addison asked as she took off her coat and draped it over a chair. Mark, Derek and Burke were all sitting in front of her, occupying the other three chairs of the table. Joe's was full of people and was sure to be a good time that night despite the small number of bodies at their little party.

Derek grinned. "It was last minute – I needed some warm bodies."

"Why am I the only girl?" Addison looked around at her colleagues. "What, am I the entertainment? I'm not stripping."

"That's okay. We've seen it already," Derek shook his head.

Mark chuckled. "True."

Burke shrugged, staring up at the redheaded doctor expectantly. "I haven't."

"Yeah," Addison sighed. "Well, why don't I buy you a drink instead? First round's on me." She looked at Mark. "Want to give me a hand?"

The plastics surgeon raised an eyebrow before shrugging and following the redhead to the bar. He hadn't really been around Addison much since he had realized his feelings for Izzie, preferring to spend most of his time with the blonde. As a result, whenever he saw Addison around the hospital, there were always a brief exchange of smiles and waves or an occasional nod of acknowledgement; he was never in her company for more than five minutes unless it was work related. It wasn't that he was avoiding Addison; it was more like he had nothing left to say.

When they reached the bar, they found that Joe was currently busy serving other customers so the two doctors waited patiently for their turn. Over the last two weeks, Addison had thought a lot about her conversation with Izzie and had come to the realization that the blonde intern had been right – she didn't know Mark Sloan anymore. In fact, it felt as though she never really knew Mark Sloan at all and considering how long they had been in each other's lives – frankly, it was just plain sad. _So many years wasted…_

Addison looked sideways at Mark and found that her friend looked deep in thought. She knew without a doubt that he was thinking of Izzie Stevens at that very moment. She cleared her throat and the plastics surgeon turned his attention to her. "So…" she began. "I don't know if you've heard, but I was in L.A. this past week."

The plastics surgeon nodded. He had heard. "How are Naomi and Sam?"

"Different," Addison replied. After a pause, she began to speak again. "Everyone is different."

Mark smiled. "That's what time does, Addie."

"Look Mark, I don't know if Izzie told you, but I had a talk with her two weeks ago."

"What?" This was news to him. Izzie had never mentioned a talk with the redheaded doctor. An uneasy feeling began to surface within him.

Addison looked apologetic and placed a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off. "I saw the two of you coming out of the observatory one day, just laughing and smiling. Stevens… she just looked so happy, Mark. And after everything that had happened to her this past year, I believed that you had her so wrapped under your spell that she wouldn't be able to take it when you broke her heart. I didn't really believe that you were serious about her and I tried to warn her about you. I tried to tell her that you would eventually hurt her."

Mark felt anger beginning to boil up within him, combined with a hint of fear that Izzie had believed Addison's words. "You…" he began, trying to figure out the right words to say. "You had no right…"

"I know," the neonatal surgeon interrupted him. "Stevens really loves you, Mark. She completely disregarded everything I said and told me that I had missed out on a wonderful man who loved me."

Mark was at a loss for words. He just stared at Addison.

Addison smiled at him sadly. "Look, I know I screwed up our pact, and yet, you took the blame for it anyway. I'm really sorry Mark."

"Izzie, she loves me, I know she does…" Mark started to say. "Izzie didn't believe anything you said about me?"

"None," she shook her head. "She stood up for you, which was something I should've been doing since the beginning. You weren't to blame for everything going wrong between me and Derek, but yet, everyone blamed you anyway, myself included. Stevens saw a different person in you, Mark."

Mark suddenly grinned, feeling his emotions turn into happiness. "Izzie really loves me." He would never get tired of hearing this particular phrase, that he was sure of.

Addison nodded. "She really does." She stared at him and smiled. "Does this mean we can really and truly put everything behind us and become friends again? The kind of friends that talk with one another and hang out from time to time?"

The plastics surgeon stared back at the neonatal surgeon for a moment before nodding. "As long as you don't ever try to convince Izzie to leave me again."

"Deal." Addison leaned forward and the two doctors shared a brief hug, this time _truly_ putting the past behind them.

--

"What the hell am I supposed to do about the stupid wedding vows?" Cristina asked as she slumped over the kitchen counter clutching at her margarita.

"You still haven't written anything?" Meredith looked at her best friend with an alarmed expression on her face.

"It's stupid crap!"

Izzie looked up from her spot in the kitchen, feeling indignation and annoyance course through her. She, Meredith, Cristina and Callie were currently standing in Meredith's kitchen, celebrating what was supposed to be a fun bachelorette party but instead, in a typical Cristina Yang-like fashion, she was taking everything for granted. "No, it isn't!"

Cristina sat up straight. "What am I supposed to say? I swear to love and cherish you every moment of every day of my life?" The intern turned to face Callie. "That's not real. That's not how it works, right?"

"It does, at first," Callie sighed. "Then…"

"It passes," Meredith interrupted.

"No, it doesn't!" Izzie shook her head and stared at the other three women in the room, unable to believe what she was hearing. "You guys are just used to it, that's all. You already have it; you have that thing that everybody else wants! You can take it for granted! But let me tell you, if you didn't – if you couldn't be with the person you love, I guarantee that hearing him promise to love you and honor you and cherish you no matter what, it would be pretty much all you could think about."

There was a moment of silence and then –

"Wait! Could you just say all that again more slowly?" Cristina grabbed a pad of paper and a pen.

Meredith looked up from where she was making another pitcher of margaritas. "You're talking about Denny, right?"

"Yeah," Izzie nodded.

"But I thought you were happy with Sloan."

"I am," Izzie held Meredith's gaze. "I love Mark. He's the best thing that's happened to me in a long time, but a part of me will always love Denny. All of you don't know what it's like to really lose someone you loved with all your heart – someone that you were planning a future with. All of you have someone that is willing to do anything for you, someone that loves you no matter how difficult you are, someone that will always be there. But do you ever wonder what you would do if they were taken away from you?"

Izzie moved her gaze from Meredith to Cristina and Callie, wondering if her words were sinking in. She had seen all the struggles that everyone had been having lately with their relationships and if her words could convince them not to take everything for granted and to cherish every moment, then all the better. "If there's one thing I've learned from my time with Denny, it's that life is short. It's one of the reasons that I work as hard as I do on my relationship with Mark because I want him to know that I love him before it's too late to say anything and I do my best to show him that fact everyday. He knows I love him. He knows I'm committed to him. Can all your men say the same thing about you?"

Feeling the sudden need to hear her boyfriend's voice, the blonde intern turned and left the kitchen heading into the living room where her purse sat near by on the coffee table. Digging through her purse, she quickly located her cell phone and began dialing Mark's number. Relief coursed through her when she heard his voice on the other end of the line, though relief for what, she didn't know.

"_Hi baby." _

"Hi," a smile came to her face as Izzie settled herself onto the couch. "How's the bachelor party going?"

"_It's not bad. We're just sitting around and reminiscing about stuff. How are things on your end?" _

"The usual," she sighed. "Cristina's stressing over what to write for her vows and complaining about how useless they are, which they aren't."

"_Yang still hasn't written anything?"_

"Nope."

"_She better get on that, Burke was complaining about it to Derek a few minutes ago." _

"Oh, she'll write it. I won't let her put off doing it," Izzie paused. "I miss you."

"_I miss you too, Iz,"_ there was a moment of silence on Mark's end before he spoke again. _"Why didn't you tell me that you and Addison had a talk a few weeks ago?"_

Izzie sat up straight. "How did you know about that?"

"_Addison told me. But the point is, why didn't you tell me?" _

"I didn't think it was important. She was trying to convince me that a relationship with you wasn't worth having, Mark. I told her she was wrong."

A moment of silence and then –

"_I love you, Izzie." _

She grinned, a bright smile coming over her face. "I love you too."

--

Another chapter done… someone asked about a sequel and I'm sorry to say that I don't have any plans for one at the moment. However, if anyone has any ideas that they'd like to see happen with Mark and Izzie, I'd happily consider it. Never say never, right?

Please review and make my day!


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